The Walking Dead
by andy.isepik
Summary: This is mainly a novelization of TellTale's The Walking Dead. I'm writing this as I watch (again!) Pewdiepie's LP of the game. Rated T for swears and violence.
1. Chapter 1 A New Day

**Developed by Telltale Games**

**Adapted by Andy IsEpik  
**

**The Walking Dead Episode 1/5 **

Chapter One

The day just wasn't going so good for Lee Everett.

He'd fallen ill while on his way to his teaching job, so he decided to call in sick for the day. Lee remembered arriving at his home, the anger and sorrow he had felt when he discovered that his beloved ex-wife had been having an affair with a senator. He distinctively remembered the extreme satisfaction of killing the man. But now all he felt was regret. One moment he was at home, the next, he was in a police car on the way out of Atlanta.

The first ten minutes of the ride were spent in silence and awkward glances through the rear mirror.

Then, the officer driving the vehicle decided to get a little chatty.

"Well, I reckon you didn't do it then."

Lee doubted his answer would even matter at this point of time. "Does it really matter?"

"Nah, not much." The officer nonchalantly replied, before quickly launching into his story. "Y'know I've driven a buncha' fellas down to this prison. Lord knows how many. Usually is 'bout now I get the "_I didn't do it."_

"Not from me."

"'Cause guys in your position already said it enough?" the officer inquired. He stopped talking, possibly gathering his thoughts.

The radio in the front was saying something, so Lee leaned in closer to hear.

_"We've got what looks like a 10-91E near Peachtree Exit of 285. All cars asked to keep on the lookout for a 91V in the area." _Lee wasn't a cop, so he didn't really understand the terms. Then, the officer interrupted his thoughts again.

"I followed your case a little bit, you being a Macon boy and all."

"You're from Macon then."

"Yep. Came up to Atlanta to be a city cop in the seventies." The officer explained, "Always wanted to work a murder case, like that senatorial mess you got yourself mixed up in, with all due respect. A real shame that is."

Lee was only half-paying attention; he looked out the window and saw a police car zoom by in the opposite direction, towards Atlanta.

The officer continued, "Hell, the whole family used to be regulars at your folks' drugstore right in downtown. Still there?"

"Sure is."

"Good."

The radio sounded again, _"Be advised of medical personnel on route to Hartsfield, various 10's and 20's coming in."_

For some reason the officer seemed to be more interested in Lee than the messages on the radio.

"I got a nephew up at UGA, you teach there long?"

"Going on my sixth year." Lee answered. He was a history professor there.

"You meet your wife in Athens?" he pressed.

Lee felt a bit uncomfortable talking about his wife, and remained silent and looked out the window. More police cars and an ambulance drove by.

"You wanna know how I see it?"

"…Not really." Lee solemnly replied, shaking his head.

"Well too bad, it's my car. You might have the right to remain silent, but it don't mean I gotta be."

Lee remained silent.

The officer continued speaking, "Regardless, could be you just married the _wrong woman_."

Lee felt enraged and wished he wasn't handcuffed so he could punch the guy in the face. He considered cursing at the man, but sighed deeply, knowing the consequences wouldn't be worth it.

The radio once again sounded, _"Riot in progress. All officers are available for incoming 217's. Rolling calls and dispatches to all locations." _ Lee curiously glanced at the radio and the officer's obviously indifferent expression.

"Any of that seem important to you?" Lee wondered, glancing out the window behind him.

A helicopter and tons of police cars rushed by as the officer answered. "All of it, but that box never shuts up. Sit in this seat and pay too much attention and you'll drive yourself crazy."

The strange amount of police and such, determined to get to Atlanta as fast as possible was very unusual. _What's going on back in Atlanta? _Lee thought to himself.

"I'm driving this man once; h-he was the worst one. He wouldn't stop going on about how he didn't do it." The officer spoke, launching himself yet again into another long story, "He was an older fella. Big, soft eyes behind a pair of smart folk glasses, and he's just wailing back there, says it wasn't him. Crying and snotting all over, right where you're sitting."

The radio blared again, interrupting the officer. He reached over and turned the thing off mid-speech. Then he continued.

"Then before long he starts kicking the back of the seat, li-like a fussy baby on an airplane. And I tell him he's gotta stop, that that's government property, and I'll been forced to zap him otherwise." He ranted. "So he stops, and having exhausted all his options, he starts crying out for his mama. _"Mama, it's all a big mistake! It wasn't me!"_

Lee thought about it, it reminded him of some of his former students in his history class.

"Maybe he was innocent." Lee thought out loud.

"_Innocent?"_ The officer questioned with disbelief, "They caught the fucker red handed! Stabbin' his wife, cutting her up as the boys came through the door! He sits in my car screaming bloody murder that it wasn't him! I think he actually believed it himself. It goes to show, people will up and go mad when they believe their life is over."

Lee immediately took back his thought, that murderer was even worse than himself.

"Oh I got another good one for ya." The driver chuckled to himself, looking over his shoulder at Lee. He continued talking.

Lee suddenly got a bad feeling, and looked up ahead at the unwatched road. He saw a person dressed in dirty rags slowly shambling themselves across the road. Right into the car's view. Before he knew the words were coming out of his mouth, he yelled, "Fucking drive!" But it was too late, the car hit the person and was sent off course, taking out a road rail and into a ditch. The car rolled and flipped several times, sending bits and pieces flying and knocking Lee out cold.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lee went in and out of consciousness. There was a sharp yell and loud moaning and groaning that went in one ear and out the other. There were also loud booms. The noises sounded like ones you might hear if your head was held underwater; incoherent, and muffled. Lee continued to hear more frantic shouts. Through half-closed eyes, he thought he saw a dark figure slowly making its way closer to the car. Then, everything went dark, for quite a while too. When Lee opened his eyes again, the dark figure was no longer there and the sky seemed a bit darker. There were still screams and loud panting that pierced Lee's ears. There were loud thumps, like there was a large scuffle going on outside. Suddenly the yelling decreased and went silent and Lee once again succumbed to the heavy weight of his eyelids.

Lee finally awoke, groaning. He sat up, wincing. He began fumbling with his hands, more specifically, with the handcuffs on his hands.

_What happened…? _Lee thought.

"…Thirsty." He thought out loud, realizing how dry his throat was. How long had he been out?

Lee shifted again, grunting as a sharp pang of pain suddenly shot through his right leg. "Fuck, my leg." He said, looking down at the bloody mess. Lee looked to his right, where there was a shattered glass window. Through it, he could see the police officer's body lying on his stomach in an awkward position with blood trailing behind.

"Hey! Hey officer! Are you all right?! I'm still cuffed back here!" Lee shouted in the general direction of the cop. Then he noticed the abandoned shotgun not too far from the cop's body. "Why the hell did he have his gun out?"

Lee looked around for a way out of the car, when he spotted the window next to him. _I think a few kicks should do this window in…_ he thought, beginning to execute his plan. He raised his left leg and began to repeatedly kick it, grunting as he did it. The window wasn't too much of a challenge; it only took four hits for the glass to shatter. He made his way closer to the window. _I need to…drag myself out that window… _Lee concluded. He positioned his forearms on the base of the window and grunted as he slowly pulled himself up and through the small side window. It wasn't the best of landings, as Lee crashed onto the sloping ground on his side. Lee looked up; it was quite a fall that the car had taken. There'd be no way he'd be able to climb it with his injured leg.

He got up and leaned over the side of the car, shouting out in pain as he shifted his weight onto his hurt leg. Lee slowly, but surely limped around the police car by leaning on it. _The officer's shotgun is over there. _Lee thought, as it came into view. He decided to pick it up. It was quite difficult to pick up because he tried to avoid using his right leg. When he had it in his hands, he examined the thing. _Looks empty . _He put it back down and pulled himself up. _It'll be easier to carry with these cuffs off._ Lee looked around and noticed a lone shotgun shell close by. He limped his way towards it and once again made quite a show of picking it up and putting it in his pocket.

After that, he looked over to the officer.

"Officer?" he said, concerned for the old man's wellbeing. Lee walked over to him. _God damn…_

As Lee hovered over the man's body, he noticed keys in the back pocket of his pants and reached for them. _These have got to be the keys to the handcuffs._ He thought, attempting to unlock his restraints. He wasn't known for being very good with his hands though, so the keys slipped out of his hands and dropped with a light clang near the officer's face. "Shit!"

Lee slowly bent over the man's head and quickly grabbed the keys. Making sure not to drop them again, he carefully unlocked each cuff, where they were discarded onto the soft ground. Finally, he was free of his restraints.

A sudden moaning from below him attracted his attention. The officer's hand twitched slightly.

"Uh, officer?..." Lee worried. All of a sudden, the officer jumped up and attacked Lee, knocking him over. The monster knocked Lee off of his feet and he looked back at the thing.

"Ahh!" Lee yelled, as the being got up on its arms and began to snarl sickeningly and crawl at the ground towards him. "Holy shit! What in the hell?!" Lee was terrified, he quickly backed up from _thing, _"What the fuck are you?!" he half questioned, half screamed. He continued to frantically back up until his back collided with the side of the police car. Lee remembered the shotgun and grasped it. He retrieved the shell from his pants pocket with shaky fingers. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, the shell slipped from his fingers and hit the ground as he tried to put it in the shotgun.

"SHIT!" he cursed, reaching for the shell with no time to lose. He popped the shell into the shotgun and took aim at the monster that was getting too close-for-comfort. "Don't make me do this…" he panicked, staring in horror at the monster. His words weren't getting through to it, as it continued to crawl at the ground hungrily. Lee reluctantly pulled the trigger, sending the round directly into the former police officer's head, splaying blood and brains all over. The officer's body hit the ground, its arms continued to move for a second, before all movement from the monster ceased.

Lee gasped, breathing heavily, still holding the shotgun in his hands. He stared in disbelief at the weapon in his hand, shaking his head and throwing the thing away from him. He had killed before, but…this was different. He didn't like to kill, but in this case, it was for self-defense.

"…man." He said, trying to calm himself down.

He pulled his eyes back to the officer's bloody body and took a closer look at it. "His skin's all rotten… and he smells like shit. What the hell is this?" Lee quietly whispered to himself. "Are you dead?... HEY! ARE YOU DEAD?" There was no response.

Lee looked around at his surroundings, he was in a large forest with several rocks scattered about the place. The land was very sloppy. Then he spotted a mysterious figure at the top of one of the hills. The figure looked like a little girl and she was looking around. He called out to her, waving his arms around wildly. "HELP! Go get someone! There- there's been a shooting!" The girl seemed to take notice, but quickly ran off in the opposite direction, disappearing behind the large hills.

Suddenly, Lee heard noises, there were faint moans and groans in the distance, and he heard rustling from behind him. He looked for the source and saw two more of those _things_ emerge from behind a tree. Lee had no time to waste; he quickly pulled himself up onto two feet and began to escape their gaining pursuit. Suddenly, he was falling; he had tripped over the police officer's corpse. He quickly regained his stance and once again began to limp away from the terrifying beings. He looked to his side, gasping silently; there were even more of these monsters! He limped even faster when he heard a snarling to his right, there was an arm-less monster leaning up against a tree that weakly tried to reach for him. He kept walking, when he tripped again. The monsters were close to surrounding him, so Lee frantically began to crawl away. He finally reached the top of the hill when he saw a bright orange-brown fence that was covered in plant growth. It was the only hope he had.

Having no time to waste, Lee got to his feet once more. He could hear the snarling, the moaning, and the groaning from all directions. _Why are there so many?!_ He thought. Lee carefully but quickly limped his way to the fence, looking behind him more than once. He was almost to the fence! When Lee finally reached the fence, he gripped the top of it and pulled himself over it, ignoring the pain from his leg. Once again he landed poorly, right on his bum. He quickly recovered though and backed up. His eyes were wide with fear and shock. Lee could still hear the monsters from over the fence. They pushed up against the fence and attempted to break through it. Lee could hear the loud thumps and bumps of their arms and hands against the fence. Lee kept backing up until his backside connected with the side of the patio. The fence looked and sounded like it was going to fall any second.

Suddenly there was a loud banging from shots of a gun far off into the distance that attracted Lee's attention. Luckily, it also attracted the monsters' attention and they ceased their pounding and walked off, on the trail of another victim. Lee sighed in relief and got up onto his feet. He looked around; it seemed that he was in the backyard of a house, judging by the pool, tree house, and other toys.

"Hello? Anybody?" Lee yelled, as large streams of smoke sifted through the sky from Atlanta.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hello? Anybody?" Lee cried out, to nobody in particular. After receiving no response, he began to explore the backyard he was in. He first noticed the door. "I wonder if anybody's home." A mini, cute tea-set at the base of the tree caught his attention and Lee went to go examine the toy. "I'd fill one of those teacups with some bourbon if I could." Lee externally thought. There was a red chair to the left of the tea-set and on the opposite side; a tire swing that was slightly swaying from right to left. In addition, there was a red wagon; it looked like it had been untouched for days.

Turning his attention away from the toys, Lee started to head to the glass sliding door. "HELP!" He cried out once more, hoping there was at least someone who could hear him. Lee reached the patio steps and climbed up onto the porch. There was a green hose perched on the wall and a quaint table and chair shaded by a bright red umbrella.

"Hello? Anybody home? I need a little help." Lee called, knocking a few times on the reflective material. Nobody came to answer the door. "Hellooo." Lee exclaimed, trying once more. "There's something going on." But to no avail, the door remained unanswered. "Doesn't seem like anybody's home."

Lee tugged on the door handle, using both hands to pry the door open. "Coming in. Don't shoot, ok?" He urged. He took a quick glance behind him, concluding that there wasn't anything else to see out there; before stepping in.

Being the polite man he was, Lee closed the door behind him. The house was dimly lit by the sunlight pouring in from the outside and the TV which showed an absent blue screen. Suddenly, his leg felt worse. "Ahh, shit. Hello?" Lee gasped, "I'm not an intruder… or one of THEM." Lee looked around the room looked like a tornado had swept through the room. Furniture was toppled over and there was a large blood stain in the kitchen. "These people might need more help than I do." Lee commented, worry distinct on his face.

He strode towards a table to the right of him. On top of the counter was a small coloring book, flipped open to an unfinished coloring of a happy unicorn. Finished examining the artwork, Lee made his way to another table, opposite the first one. There was a bowl of fruit on it. He pinched one of the bananas in the bowl, rubbing his finger on the tip of it. "It's fake. Damn." As he said that, there was a loud beep from a nearby source. He rotated his head in its direction. The sound had come from an answering machine. "Maybe there's something on there." He declared, pressing the messages button on it. It was a woman's voice who was talking on the messages.

_Three new messages._ _Message one. Left at five-forty-three p.m. _

**_Hey, Sandra, this is Diana. We're still in Savannah. Ed had a little 'incident' with some crazy guy near the hotel, so we had to get him back to the ER and have it checked out. Anyway, he's not feeling well enough to drive back tonight, so we're staying an extra day. Thanks so much for looking after Clementine, and I promise we'll be back in time before your spring break!_**

_ Message two. Left at eleven-nine-teen p.m._

**_Oh my God, finally! I don't know if you've tried to reach us; all the calls are getting dropped. They're not letting us leave and aren't telling us anything about Atlanta. Please, please, just leave the city and take Clementine with you back to Marietta. I've got to get back to the hospital. Please let me know that you're safe._**

_ Message three. Left at six-fifty-one a.m._

**_Clementine? Baby, if you can hear this, call the police. That's 9-1-1. We love you… we love you… we love y-_**

Lee picked up a picture frame of the family who apparently owned the house. It depicted three people; a smiling man and woman with their little girl. He put the photo back down. What sort of _horrors_ did this family go through? Were they all dead or...worse?

Suddenly, Lee heard a girl's voice out of nowhere. "Daddy?"

"Huh?" Lee wondered, stepping carefully over the large blood stain and into the kitchen. The situation in the kitchen was even worse than in the living room. Everything of value seemed to have been ransacked and dishes were on the floor. There were small bloody hand prints that made a pathway to the drawers. Lee looked around for the source of the noise. He opened a small drawer which contained long boxes. Nothing. He then pulled open the larger drawer to the right of it. Inside were some papers and a walkie-talkie. Lee reached for the talkie, looking side to side.

He walked towards the glass sliding door. "…Hello?" he spoke through the communicating device.

A young girl cautiously warned him. "You need to be quiet."

Lee began pacing about. "I'm not a monster."

"Good." The voice responded with obvious relief.

_Where was the voice coming from?_ Lee thought, inspecting the room for places someone could hide. "Where are your parents?" He continued to pace towards the kitchen, carefully avoiding the bloodspill.

"They took a trip and left me with Sandra. They're in Savannah I think. Where the boats are."

"Are you safe?" Lee questioned, standing next to the kitchen window.

"I'm outside in my treehouse. They can't get in." the girl explained, instinctively causing Lee to look out the window and into the treehouse.

"That's smart." Lee approved.

"See?" The girl indicated, peeking through a small door. Lee could make out a young girl with a small cap speaking through her talkie. "Can you see me? I can see you through the window."

Lee waved cheerfully at the girl in the treehouse, happy to see someone who wasn't a monster.

"AHHHH!" The girl suddenly shrieked, once again taking refuge in her makeshift base. Lee reflexively turned around. He turned at the right moment too; because right at that moment, a repulsive monster attempted to attack him from behind, snarling with hunger. Lee shouted, grabbing the thing's shoulders and struggling to push it away from him. The monster thrashed and growled, flailing its arms about, trying to reach him. Lee slowly pushed it away from him and into the front of the stove where it hit the ground. He quickly caught his breath and turned to escape the monster which recovered quickly. He forgot about the blood though, and he slipped, nailing his head on the counter.

His vision became blurry and it became hard for him to make out certain shapes. He saw something coming closer to him so he kicked it hard. It was the monster. Struggling to his feet, Lee once again quickly dashed towards the door. Suddenly the thing's hands gripped tight onto his ankle, causing him to trip once more. It was about to bite his legs when Lee punched it in the face away. He frantically backed up away from the thing; which was quickly catching up. The monster grabbed his foot and pulled him closer, climbing on top of Lee. He fought back and shoved it away from him. It was as if pain didn't affect the monster, as it recovered quickly with a disturbing snarl. It continued its pursuit towards Lee and Lee continued to kick back the thing several times. That's when he noticed that the girl had climbed out of her tree house and was now standing behind him; offering him a hammer. He took it from her hands and held back the monster, preventing it from having its way with him.

Lee swung the hammer at the monster's face, flinging it sideways. With no time to waste, he braced his injured knee against the monster's torso. He held the hammer firmly in his hand, striking the beast in the head. It just wasn't giving up yet though, so he brought the hammer down again. It still showed signs of whatever life it had. Lee swung the hammer once again. It finally seemed dead, but Lee didn't want to risk it. The hammer impacted the monster's brain, its end temporarily getting stuck in its cranium as he pulled it out. Finally, it was dead…again.

The beast's corpse was a disgusting sight to see, it had a huge hole in the middle of its head from the several blows to the face. Its eyeballs were disconnected and utterly useless. A small pool of blood was forming to the side of its head. Lee sighed with relief, putting the hammer down. He put his hands on his knees, catching his breath. "Man…"

That's when Lee noticed the still shadow of the girl who had assisted him. "Hi there." Lee acknowledged. What a unique introduction.

The girl fearfully and slowly backed up from the freshly spilled blood. "Did you kill it?"

"I don't know. I think so."

"Sometimes they come back." She whispered fearfully.

"Have you killed one?"

"No. But they get shot a lot."

Lee got to his knees so he was at eye-level with the girl. "You've been all by yourself through this?"

"Yeah. I want my parents to come home now."

Lee remembered the messages on the answering machine, his head facing down in hidden sorrow. "I think that might be a little while, you know?"

"Oh."

He got closer to her. "Look, I don't know what happened. But I'll look after you until then."

"What should we do now?" The girl inquired.

Lee thought about it, these _monsters_ or whatever were really sneaky. Better to be able to see them than to give them another advantage. "We need to find help before it gets dark." Lee suggested, choosing the safety of daylight.

"Yeah, it's not safe at night." The girl agreed.

"Let's go. Stay close to me." Instructed Lee as the little girl gripped his arm tightly.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN (Andy's Note): I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, I know I'm having a whole load of fun writing this novelization. I'll try to post 2-3 chapters a day; or at the very least, one chapter. As always, if you have any suggestions, advice, or even corrections and improvements in the story I should look upon, feel free to put it in the review! It might be a bit confusing for some of the dialogue for who is talking. Anyway, most of the conversation is happening between Shawn (the black-haired man) and Lee. Sorry for the shorter chapter.  
**

Chapter 4

Lee exited the home, with Clementine, the little girl, right behind him. Now that it wasn't so dark, he could tell what she looked like. She wore a white, long dress and a blue and white cap. On the cap was a big 'D'. The cap covered a bush of frizzy and puffy, short, black hair. Her skin color was a nice shade of light brown.

Clementine stared at the door blankly before quickly shutting the sliding door behind her and glancing at Lee. Then, she began to run ahead of Lee down the porch steps. When Lee caught up to her, he found her gazing out through the gates into the street. Lee walked ahead, towards the metal bars. He noticed two people working together to maneuver a green, smashed car out of the way. The street was entirely littered with broken cars and debris. It was a wonder how the two men had gotten past. He heard the chubbier brown-headed person voice his complaints, shaking his head.

"Maaan… I ain't never getting' home to mama at this rate."

"This sucks." The other man agreed.

"It's hot dish night." He babbled remorsefully, looking as if the world would end without it.

They once again bent over and continued to heave the obstacle out of the way, but to no avail. Lee was about to go open the gate to go and assist the two men, when Clementine stopped him. He knelt to her eye-level.

"What's the matter?" he questioned worryingly.

"Should I stay?" She asked, surprising Lee.

"What?"

"I don't want to sleep in the treehouse tonight, but I don't know if I should leave. What if my parents come home?"

Lee thought for a second. "I won't leave you alone." He assured. This made her smile with relief.

"Let's go somewhere safe that's close, ok?"

"That's a good idea." Lee approved.

They turned their attention back to the two young men who were still having trouble removing the car from their vehicle's pathway. Clementine stepped forward and pushed against the metal gate, causing a loud, squeaky noise as it pushed through. This caused the two men to reflexively flinch and turn their way.

"HOLY SHIT!" The one with the black hair exclaimed.

"DON'T EAT US!" The other man with the messy pulled back hair pleaded.

"We're not going to hurt you." Lee persuaded them, limping his way towards them. It was understandable to think that he was one of those things, with his busted leg and blood-stained clothing. All that was missing was some groans and snarls. Just add that and voila.

"Phew, thought for a second you and the little one were BOTH going to give us the chomp." The black-haired one explained.

"Do you know what the hell this is?" Lee asked.

"No idea. So you've seen them then?" He answered, gesturing with his eyes to a battered monster not too far away. Its corpse seemed recent, so it must've been the two of them who had taken it out.

"You could say that."

"I'm Shawn, Shawn Greene."

"Lee, this is Clementine."

The chubbier one got on his knee and waved at Clementine. "I'm Chet." Clementine smiled subtlety and shyly hid behind Lee.

Shawn continued, "We shouldn't be out in the open like this. How about you help us clear the way and we'll take you and your daughter out of here, and down to my family's farm. It should be safer there."

"I'm not her dad. I'm…", Lee thought, should he lie or tell the truth? He settled with the truth, "…just some guy."

"Some guy?" Shawn questioned, noticing what Lee said.

"Yeah."

"She's alone?" He asked with disbelief in his voice. He looked over at Chet, "Let's get going. Staying put for too long is a mistake."

Lee nodded, but turned to Clementine. "What do you want to do?"

Clementine shook her head slightly and anxiously glanced back at her home: 5240. "I…" She looked back at Lee with an indecisive look on her face.

Suddenly, Chet interrupted with urgency, "Them monsters comin'! WE GOTTA GO!" It was true; several of them came staggering down the car-flooded street, in pursuit of them.

Shawn positioned himself over the top of the green hood. "Lee, quick! Let's go!"

There was no time to lose, Lee quickly joined Shawn's side, ignoring the sharp pain in his leg and started to help push the vehicle while Chet tended to their red truck and watched their backs. The first push shoved the car back quite a bit. During the second push, Clementine dashed in between the two men and also helped to shove.

When the obstacle was finally out of the truck's way, Shawn hopped into the front cab with Lee and Clementine. With no remaining room in the front, Chet took the back of the truck. He backed himself up as far as he could against the truck wall as Shawn started their get-away vehicle. It was a close escape, the monsters nearly got Chet. Fortunately, Shawn immediately floored the accelerator. He hit a few things as the group sped away down the sharp corner of the street, no longer abiding driving laws.

He turned to Lee. "For just "some guy", it seems like you've saved a bunch of lives today."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It's late at night when Lee and his unlikely partners arrive in the countryside. The moon is bright. Clementine and Lee are exchanging friendly glances with each other while Chet relaxes in the back and Shawn drives. They drive past rows and rows of tall crops. There are enough crops to provide food for an extremely long period of time. But in the glow of the night, these crops seem dangerous and house many secretive things, good and bad. You'd never know what could sneak up behind you with these tall growths.

Shawn turns onto a pathway that is surrounded by the same crops. He slows down and eventually parks his truck next to a house, which Lee assumes is his family's farmhouse. The farmhouse is dimly lit from one window and the porch light. On the wall of the house, there is a green sign that says, "THE GREENES". There is a large red barn to the right of the house. A long line of brown fence circles the perimeter of the farmland. All in all, the place doesn't look too bad.

Chet hops out of his makeshift seat, stretching his sore arms from the bumpy ride here. "Hey, Shawn… I'm a' run on home. My mama's gonna be in a snit."

"No sweat, man. I'll catch you tomorrow night."

"It was nice to meet ya both." Chet expresses, nodding at Clementine and Lee before taking off.

Clementine holds Lee hand as the house's front door opens with a loud creak. An old, bearded man is at the door. He is dressed in a green, long-sleeved shirt that has a badge and his legs are draped in black. "Thank God, you're ok." He says, walking towards Shawn.

"I was worried it'd be bad here, too." Shawn admits, going up to the man and pulling him into a tight hug.

The man returns the hug and gives Shawn a friendly pat on the back. "Been quiet as usual the past couple days. Ol' Breckon down the way thinks his mare's gone lame but that ain't nothing new."

"I wouldn't have made it back without Chet."

"Well, I'm glad you took him with you then."

The bearded fellow turned to Lee and Clementine, putting his hands on his waist. "You've brought a couple guests." It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Lee took the chance to speak, "We just need a little… help. We won't stay long."

"Good. You're welcome to stay here, but just for the night. I don't run a bed and breakfast." He advises, before continuing. "So it's just you and your daughter then."

Shawn corrects his misunderstanding, "Oh, not his daughter, he's… well… Just some guy who found her alone."

The old man gets to Clementine's eyelevel, similar to Lee. "Honey, do you know this man?"

"Yes." Clementine responds quietly.

"Ok then." He notes, nodding his head, before gesturing to Lee's injuries. "Well, looks like you hurt your leg pretty bad there."

"Yeah, it's not doing so good." He admitted.

"I can help you out. Shawn, run on in and check on your sister. You, take a seat up on the porch and I'll go see what I have."

Lee sat himself up on the porch's bench. Clementine watching with worried eyes. The old man reappears in the door with a bottle of pills and squints at Clementine, before shaking his head and heading to Lee.

"Let's have a look." He feels the injury on Lee's leg, "Yeah, this is swollen to hell."

"Could be worse." Lee responds, thinking of the monsters back in the neighbourhood and woods.

"That's what it sounds like. Seems like things got awful bad in the cities." The man says before returning to his work. "What'd you say your name was?"

"I didn't."

"Well, now's the time."

"Doesn't matter, right?"

"Huh. Well, if you're going to be here overnight I'm going to need it. Unless you'd rather hit the road."

"It's Lee." mumbled Lee, rolling his eyes.

"Well Lee – just Lee, I take it? I'm Hershel Greene." He tells Lee, as he begins to bandage the wounds. Lee winces.

"How'd this happen?" Hershel curiously asks.

"Jumping a fence." Lee lies.

"Running from something?" Hershel questions with a hint of "yeah right" in his expression.

"Just like everybody else."

"What type'a danger has the girl seen?"

"She's safe now."

"You're serious about taking care of her then?"

"What choice is there?"

"House is full up with mine. We've got another displace family of three sleeping in the barn. You and your daughter are welcome to rest there, when we're done here." Hershel explains.

Mr. Greene turns to Clementine. "I didn't catch your name, darlin'."

She hesitates, but reluctantly tells Hershel her name. "Clem-Clementine."

"Can't imagine what you've been through, Clementine." His reply sounding sincere.

"I'm looking after her until we find her parents." Lee explains.

Shawn walks through the archway and behind his father. "Hey dad, so I'm thinking, first thing tomorrow, we gotta reinforce the fence around the farm."

"That doesn't seem necessary." Hershel replies, dismissing the idea.

"I don't know what you saw on TV, or heard on the radio, but there's some serious… SHIT hitting the fan." Shawn is careful to make sure Clementine doesn't hear the curse, "I don't think anyone knows how big it is yet."

Lee supported Shawn. "Your son's right. You're going to want to fortify this place.

"Stuff like that doesn't happen around here, Shawn."

"Dad, I'm serious. Lee, come on, tell him what you saw out there, man." Shawn pressed.

"I got chased by a couple of dead people." Lee said solemnly.

Hershel relented. "Well, do what you think you should. We've got plenty of chores as it is."

"Lee and those folks in the barn can help out in the morning. We gotta do it, really." Shawn added.

"I already said ok." Hershel replied, starting to get annoyed.

Shawn then disappeared back into the house. Hershel continued his business. "Well, I'm all done here. It should start to feel better tomorrow."

"Thanks." Lee said, expressing his gratitude. He looked down at his leg. It did look and feel a helluva lot better than before.

"If your leg gets hot or the swelling doesn't go down; you're probably dealing with an infection."

"What do we do then?" Lee asked, worry creasing his forehead.

"We'll probably just have to shoot you." Hershel says with a serious expression.

Lee hoped he didn't get an infection.

"We'll clean it, re-dress it and you'll be fine." Hershel admits, ending his personal joke there.

"Ok, that'd be preferable."

"There's blankets and such in the barn. We'll be seeing you bright and early." Hershel points out, "Come tomorrow, which way you think you're headed?"

"Towards Macon, I suppose." Lee replied.

Hershel nods and turns to look at Clementine. Once again he squints at her, before heading back into the house.

In the barn, there are thin paddings that have been positioned on top of the plentiful amount of hay that has swallowed up the ground. As Lee lays his head down onto the hard, flat pillow, Clementine breaks the silence.

"It smells like…" she begins.

Lee turns his head to look at her, smiling. "I know what it smells like."

"Doo-dee." She finishes.

Lee looks at Clementine, before she speaks up once more.

"I miss my mom and dad."

"I bet, Clem."

"How far is Savannah?"

"Pretty far."

"Oh. Ok." She whispers, before drifting off to sleep. Lee follows suit.

_In Lee's head, his dream projects moments with his ex-wife. "I love you, baby." She coos. Then the dream projects moments where she's laughing. Then, all of a sudden, there is a loud crash of expensive plates and the shrill shriek of hers._

Lee sits up as he wakes from his bad dream, flinching and gasping for breath. The effects of the dream still echoing and bouncing numbly in his cranium. He lays back down, "_It's just a dream." _He thinks to himself, over and over again until he falls asleep, exhausted from the day's events.


	6. Chapter 6

**Andy's** **Note: Hey guys! Sorry, it might seem that my chapters are getting a bit boring. I can promise you that it WILL get better and more interesting; especially in the upcoming episodes! As always, I hope you can take the time to write a review, in the review you can tell me about something I could improve upon. I will try my best! I hope you enjoy this chapter~**

Chapter 6

"Hey, get up." A rough voice ordered, before softening its tone.

Lee opened his eyes to a man towering over him. He, like Clementine, was also wearing a cap. This hat was orange with a white stripe down the front. He had a thick handlebar mustache and shaggy hair poking out from under his hat. The man wore a beaded necklace and a short-sleeved white shirt. The shirt had a symbol on it but Lee couldn't make out what it was. Lee sat up and looked over to Clementine who woken up and was rubbing her arms.

"I'm itchy." She mumbled.

"Well you slept in a barn, little lady. Lucky you don't have spiders in your hair." The man in the orange cap explained, causing Clementine to gasp and instinctively check, "But I bet your daddy scared 'em all away, huh?"

"I'm not her dad. Name's Lee." Lee pointed out. It seemed like explaining this was going to become a routine.

"I'm Kenny." He nodded.

There was a squeaky, high-pitched voice that suddenly appeared along with a small, freckled boy. "Dad! We're gonna build a fence! There's a tractor and everything!" The lad exclaimed, before running off, out of view.

"We better get going or we won't hear the end of it." Kenny suggested, with a slight smile on his face.

Kenny exited the barn, with Lee and Clementine tailing behind, holding hands. Lee was thankful to whatever last night's medicine and Hershel had done for him, for his leg barely hurt anymore.

"That's my boy, Ken Junior. We call him Duck, though."

_What a peculiar nickname._ Lee thought. "Dodging or quacking?"

"Quacking."

Duck shouted impatiently, "DAAAAD!"

Kenny looked over at Lee, "See?"

The trio approached Duck and a woman dressed in a floral dress who Lee assumed was his mother.

"The word is you were on your way to Macon." Kenny stated.

"My family is from there."

"Well Macon's on the way and, personally, I'd appreciate the company of a guy who can knock a couple of heads together if he has to."

"I'll see what the girl would like."

"Ah. Gotta consult the missus. I understand." Kenny said, before turning to his family. "Honey, Duck, this is Lee and uh, what's the girl's name?"

"Clementine." Lee responded for Clementine, who shyly hid behind his leg.

"Clementine." repeated Kenny.

Kenny's wife spoke up, "That is a very pretty name."

"Thanks." Clementine hesitantly replied.

Shawn then joined the conversation. "Well, we should get to work. We've all seen what these things can do out there so the faster we get this fence up, the better."

"I want to build a fence." Duck babbled.

"Yeah? Well I need a good foreman. You can sit on the tractor and yell at me whenever I take a water break." Shawn encouraged.

"On the tractor? Cool!" Duck exclaimed, his eyes widening with excitement and enthusiasm.

"Duck and I will hop to it."

After finishing his talk, Shawn began to walk to the back of the house, Duck following suit.

Katjaa spoke, "I can keep an eye on your little girl here on the porch. We can visit."

As she said this, Clementine willingly sat beside her and Kenny went to tend to his vehicle.

Lee walked towards Kenny, deciding to check up on him first. He could hear Clementine and Katjaa have a friendly conversation in the background. "Hey there, uh, Kenny. Need any help?"

"Naw, I think I got it." Kenny replied, staring intently into the works of his truck, "Do YOU need any help?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, in taking care of that little girl. You know what you're doing? You got kids of your own?"

"Nah, nah. No… no kids." Lee answered, shaking his head slightly.

"Woulda liked one then." Kenny noted.

Lee shrugged. "You know."

Lee decided to bring up another topic. "So what's your family's plan?"

"Get back on down to Lauderdale and let this mess get sorted out." Kenny began, "Government will start handing out shots and the National Guard will do its thing. On the odd chance things got too bad, we could hop on my boat, I guess."

"You've got a boat?" Lee inquired.

"I'm a commercial fisherman, catching mackerel, dolphin, whatever's biting and paying. Katjaa wouldn't be wild about it, but the boat's not that bad."

_Hmm. Seems interesting._ Lee thought.

"How's your son doing?"

"Good, I think. Katjaa's got a sister up in Memphis; we were coming back from visiting her. We were in a gas station and some guy grabbed my boy." Kenny expressed, standing up from his work, "I thought he was kidnapping him. I was on the fucker in about two seconds and… Christ. Just lucky I was there."

_Damn._ Lee imagined.

Kenny continued. "We saw a lot of bodies before we stumbled upon Hershel's. But we're a tough family, Lee. Ain't nothing gonna faze us."

Deciding that there was nothing much else to say to Kenny, Lee turned to leave. "See ya."

Lee strode over to the girls. "Hey there, girls. You two actually looked relaxed."

"I think we're doing just fine, Clementine was just telling me about first grade." She explained.

"Oh, uh. How is that?" said Lee, with a smile.

"It's easy." Clementine insisted.

"Well, yeah."

Lee glanced at Katjaa, before speaking again. "Sooo you're good?"

Katjaa ignored his question. "Anyway, it's almost like we didn't see people eating each other for the past three days. It's peaceful here, no?"

Lee had to agree, it _was_ much better than back in that neighbourhood. He decided to talk about something else. "So uhh, what do you do when… corpses aren't walking around?"

"I'm a veterinarian back in Fort Lauderdale – like Hershel, here, except more with dogs and cats and not horses." Katjaa explained, "What is it that you do, Lee?"

"I used to teach up at the University of Georgia."

"We need to HOPE that we can go back to our jobs soon, Lee. Back to normal. It can't stay like this."

"Yeah, my mistake."

"We'll all be home soon."

The topic seemed to have come to end, so Lee asked something else. "How did you handle getting through the city?"

"Kenny just…drove. We passed so many people that needed help. And… we just… passed people, over some. Just…just…" She expressed remorsefully, hanging her head low.

"It's ok. It's fine, you don't have to say anymore.

"I want to go home tomorrow, but even then I can't take away the things we – the things Duck – went through." She paused for a second, "Don't you want to go back to the moment before you knew about all this?"

"This could all be providence, you know."

"Not what we saw."

"You just never realize when something is happening to you what you're being given; maybe this will all work out."

"Your optimism is…refreshing. New. These past couple of days at least."

The conversation between him and Katjaa was coming to an end. It was time to check up on the others. "Back in a bit."

Lee walked over to the back of the house where Shawn and Duck were at work on the fence. Well, just Shawn, who was hammering away at the wood. Duck was just sitting on top of the tractor, daydreaming. Lee looked over at Shawn. _Shawn's still working on that fence._ Lee inspected the tractor that Duck was on.

Shawn asked him, "You know how to drive it?"

"Sure don't. I can give you a hell of a critique of the US Farm Bill though."

"I'm good." Shawn replied, resuming his hard work.

Lee walked towards the three large boards of wood covering up part of the fence. "Do you uh… think this thing will keep them out?"

"Not yet; I'm planning on coming back through on "fortification pass" if you will. We'll lock this place up good."

There was a towering stack of wooden planks next to some tools. "It's just whatever scraps I could find around the property." Shawn commented, "Dad's been asking me to haul that stuff to the dump for weeks. Glad I didn't." Lee made his way over to Duck and waved at him and received a wave in return. He looked like he was having a bunch of fun, pretending to turn the tractor's controls and such.

Lee went over to Shawn, who was still busy at work. "Hey, Lee."

He looked over at all the fence Shawn was going to reinforce, "Need a hand?"

"That'd be great. If you could cut those two-bys to length, that'd sure speed things up." Shawn replied, gesturing to the planks of wood with his hammer.

Lee was happy to help; he walked over to the planks and gripped the handsaw. He began to cut the pieces in half, making small talk with Shawn.

Shawn began solemnly, "My dad doesn't know how bad it is."

"No, he doesn't."

"I saw a guy in Atlanta kill a kid. A boy. Just shot him right in the face."

"Was the boy one of the walkers?"

"I don't even know. He was either attacking the guy or asking for help. He didn't even hesitate. He just turned, put the barrel of the gun right between the kid's eyes and pulled the trigger." Shawn explained sorrowfully, "You don't see things like that. It's not like in the movies."

"They don't fall like you think."

Shawn blinked. "Did you have to do it?"

"Do what?"

"Kill. Have you had to off one yet?"

"Oh, uh…" Lee hesitated, thinking back to the officer and babysitter who he had to kill. "Sometimes it's kill or be killed."

"I guess. I don't think I'd sleep good after that."

"I'm just glad we're getting this fence built. Dad just wants to keep the family safe and thinks inviting people in is a bigger threat than whatever's out there." Shawn paused. "How about yours? How's your family?"

"I'm not quite sure where my ex-wife is."

"Ah. Oh. Yeah. For sure." Shawn musters awkwardly as Lee cuts through another plank of wood.

Lee begins to pick up another piece when Shawn stops him. "That's probably all I need cut for now. Thanks."

"And Shawn, thanks again for the ride."

"No problem, Lee. Couldn't leave you behind." says Shawn, "Anyway, when you see my dad around, he might want some help in the barn."

Lee looked over at the entrance to the hay-filled barn. _Speak of the devil, and the devil may appear. _Lee thought, as Hershel strode inside. Lee followed him in.

Hershel was busy shoveling hay with a pitchfork when Lee walked in. He lifted his head and squinted annoyingly at him, before resuming shoveling. "You should know that if you weren't leaving with Kenny today, I wouldn't stand for your lack of honesty last night."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"A man asks you your name, you give it. Unless that name is no good." Hershel advises, "How'd you get out of Atlanta?"

"…On foot. I headed south and hoofed it out of there." lied Lee.

"That's a long walk." Hershel replies, obviously doubting him.

Lee decided to change the subject. "This farm's a nice plot of land."

"Heh, had you told me twenty years ago I'd still be doing this, I would've told you that you were full of crap. Never was the plan, having a place like this. It was in the family, and I guess so was I. Family's important; it's all that matters. You agree with that?" He asked; a serious and intimidating look on his face.

"Was brought up to, yes."

"Where's your family now? Parents? Wife? Girlfriend?"

"No wife, not anymore. I think she's up in Virginia, maybe."

"Sorry to hear it." Even though he didn't sound sincere, "But now you've got this little girl to take care of. Clementine, is it? You just stumbled up-on her?"

"Yeah, I was looking for help in her house."

"Hmph." Hershel replies, sticking the pitchfork into the ground, the way farmers on television do, "Can I give you a piece of advice?"

Lee scowled, "Mind your own business."

Hershel ignored him, "I don't know who you are or what you did. But you better become a better liar, and fast. Let's say things don't get better back in the cities. Or they get worse before they do. You're going to have to depend on the honesty of strangers if you're going to make it. And if those same people get to questioning yours, you're going to be in trouble." he says, before continuing, "So whoever you are, and whatever you did, keep it to your damn self. Oh, and trying to be less of an asshole would serve you just fine."

Lee squints at him, when suddenly there is the loud rev of an engine turning on and a sharp scream.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"What the?!—" exclaimed Lee, turning and running out the door.

"GO! I'll get my gun." Hershel yelled from behind him, his face for once showing fear.

Lee quickly flew past Katjaa and towards the source of the noise. Shawn's leg had been crushed by the tractor! Monsters, attracted by Shawn's screams reached in through the fence, trying to bite him. The fence preventing them from doing so was starting to snap. Duck, who was in the seat of the tractor, leaned out of his chair with a confused and blank look on his face. Suddenly, another one of the monsters reached for his leg and pulled him closer by the shoulders.

"My leg is stuck!" Shawn yelled, "Get it off of me!" Lee went over to Shawn to help him; he pulled him by his arms. But there was no effect; his leg was still trapped under the wheel of the tractor. "Fuck, it's crushed! Move this thing!" Shawn pleaded.

Kenny ran over to his son and easily pulled him away from the reaches of the monster attacking him. "I got you!" he said to Duck, carrying him in his arms.

"KENNY! HELP LEE!" Shawn shouted to Kenny. But Kenny panicked, and ran, taking his son to a safer area of the farm with Shawn's yells echoing out from behind him.

Lee went to push the tractor off of Shawn's leg. It wouldn't budge, no matter how hard he tried. Suddenly, there was a crackling of wood as the fence bar collapsed under the weight of the two monsters. Lee backed away in horror.

"AHHHH! AAHH! AHH!" Shawn screamed as the things bit into his leg and throat, splaying blood. Hershel arrived with his gun a moment too late as Clementine backed off and whimpered from the sight of Shawn. Hershel's face fell when he realized he was too late to save Shawn. He shot one of the monsters, which flew off him. The second one stopped its meal to raise its head and snarl at the sound of the rifle, before Hershel shot him too; causing its whole head to explode. A third monster appeared from the field, growling with his arms forward, before Hershel planted a bullet through its brain. When the threat was neutralized Hershel headed to Shawn's body.

"I'm ok pop…I'm ok…" Shawn managed to muster weakly.

"I can fix you, don't worry, we'll stitch you up."

"It almost…it almost got me, man. Lee tried to save me." He mumbled, looking up at Lee who stood before his body.

"I know, son."

"I…" Shawn began to speak, before gasping and closing his eyes for the last time.

Hershel stared his son's dead body, his eyes and mouth wide open.

Kenny and his family and Clementine walked over to the bloody scene. Hershel got on his knees.

"Get out." He stood up, a deep scowl on his face, " GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE."

"I'm sorry." expressed Kenny, looking down.

"SORRY? Your son is alive. You don't get to be sorry." half-screamed Hershel, before turning to Lee, "You tried to help him, but this piece of shit let him die."

Kenny was wide-eyed with regret and sorrow, the weight of his actions on him.

Lee spoke up, "I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry."

"If your girl is ever trapped you better hope you get stronger or your friends aren't cowards. Please, just go. Get out and never come back." Hershel yelled, before kneeling next to his son's dead body.

Lee turned to Kenny, giving him a subtle nod as Kenny intently stared back. Katjaa and him looked at Clementine. "You've got that ride to Macon if you want it." Kenny mumbled sadly, before leaving with his family for his truck. Lee and Clementine followed.

* * *

Kenny had driven the group right into the middle of Macon. The streets were deserted and messy with broken, smashed cars and blood. Powerlines were dipping into the streets and there were papers littered around. That was when Kenny's truck stuttered a few times before slowing to a complete stop. The vehicle was out of juice.

"Well, this is as far as we're going." Kenny indicated.

Lee opened the door, "Then it's far enough."

The group exited the vehicle; they have stopped in the middle of a street with several stores on it, some that Lee remembered fondly. He pets Clementine on the head before following the others away from the truck. Lee notices his family's drug store, illuminated with its large neon letters. When the group reaches the corner of the street which Lee's drug store is on, Duck notices something and points towards it. "Look!"

Down the street, there are overturned cars. The others don't miss the crouched figure, the top half of his body shielded by a car on its side. Kenny steps forward and waves his arms. "Hey there! You friendly? Truck's run out of gas."

The figure reveals itself, snarling at him. It is anything BUT _friendly._ IT's one of the monsters feasting on a human body. "FUCK!" Kenny yells, backing off. The sound attracts several of the things, as they begin to emerge from their hiding spots. Lee and his group are surrounded!

"We're TRAPPED!" Katjaa exclaims.

"WAAH!" Duck shrieks, as one of the things topples over him, attempting to bite him, "AHHH! NO! NO!" Suddenly there is a loud bang and the splatter of blood as a bullet pierces Duck's pursuer and it hits the ground. Duck pulls himself up, in shock.

His savior is a young woman, cladded in a long-sleeved white dress shirt and black skirt. She has medium-length, brown hair which reaches the bottom of her neck. She grips the pistol in her hand skillfully and fires a few more shots as Kenny and Katjaa embrace Duck. Her aim is true, as it takes down another of the monsters.

"RUN!" Another voice yells, it comes from an asian man with a striped cap. He is wearing a brown leather jacket, and a red logo shirt. His face is beginning to sprout a prickly beard. Lee and the others are quick to heed his order. The woman fires two more shots as the group rushes past the metal gates. The man quickly slams the gate shut and locks it with a combination lock. He does so just in time too, as the horde is beginning to thrash against the sturdy metal. He then joins the others, inside the pharmacy.

* * *

As soon as everyone is inside, a chubby man stands on lookout, occasionally taking peeks out the window.

"We can't take risks like this!" A different woman voices loudly.

"And we can't just let people die, either." The girl with the gun retorts.

"When I SAY "that door stays shut no matter what" I fucking MEAN it." This woman has longer brown hair. She has a matching brown tanktop. Her expression looks wary and exhausted. She continues speaking, "We don't know who these people are; they could be dangerous!"

"Worse, they could've led them right to us." A burly old man angrily adds.

"Where the hell is your humanity?!" The sharpshooter argues.

Lee crosses his arms. "Whoa, chill the fuck out, lady. We're just people trying to avoid those things, just like you."

"Don't come in here and swear at me!" The lady in brown shouts, squinting her eyes at Lee.

"I'll say whatever I want if you start threatening these people."

The sharpshooter interrupts, "You'll have to excuse her."

"The hell he, or ANYONE will. This is about survival, do you guys not see what's happening?"

Clementine pulls on Lee's arm. "What is it?" Lee asks.

"I…I have to pee."

"In a minute Clem."

Clem nods and lets go of Lee's arm, looking down.

The asian man speaks up, "They've got kids, Lilly."

"Those things outside don't care."

Kenny cuts in, "Maybe you should go join 'em, then. You'll have something in common!"

The old man scowls, "Goddammit, Lilly. You've got to control these people!"

"Carley and Glenn just ran out there!" says Lilly, defending herself. Clementine spots a washroom and inches her way towards it.

"She's an asshole, that's for sure." Lee blurts out.

"That's what it takes." Lilly sneers.

"Well you don't have to be a bitch about it."

Suddenly, the old man turns and gestures to Duck, who is getting the blood cleaned off of him by Katjaa, "Holy SHIT. Son of a bitch, one of them is bitten!"

Lee defends Duck, "He wasn't bitten."

"Hell he wasn't! We have to end this, now." The man walks over to Duck and Katjaa

Kenny steps in to intervene. "Over my dead body."

"We'll dig one hole."

"No! I'm cleaning him up! There's no bite! He's fine!" Katjaa denies.

"Don't you fucking people get it? We've already SEEN this happen. We let someone with a bite stay and-and WE all end up bitten!"

"Shut up." Kenny yells, emphasizing each individual word.

"We gotta throw him out! Or smash his head in!"

"KENNY! STOP HIM!" Katjaa shrieked.

"Lee, what do we do about this guy?"

Lilly tried to calm him down, "Dad, it's just a boy."

"We reason with him." Lee suggested, deciding to stay neutral.

"With the bloody end of an axe-handle, maybe! Nobody threatens my boy." said Kenny, staring straight at Lilly's father.

Carley yells, "Everyone CHILL THE FUCK OUT!"

"Nobody is doing ANYTHING." Lilly replied.

"Shut up, Lilly!" her father commanded, before turning to Carley, "And YOU. Shut the fuck up. They will find us and they will get in here, and none of this will fucking matter. But right now we're about to be TRAPPED in here with one of those things."

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Kenny angrily asked.

"He's bitten! That's how you TURN."

"He's not bitten!" insisted Katjaa, "Lee, stop this! It's upsetting him!"

"Oh. I'm 'upsetting' him? Upsetting is getting eaten alive!"

Lee stepped up, "It's Larry, right? Man, this is his son."

"Look around, dumbass. I got a daughter in here. YOU got a daughter in here. Get your head out of your ass, boy."

"We've all got people in here and we can figure this out without killing anybody. There's another way." Lee replied, trying to persuade Larry.

"Yeah, with a shovel."

This set off Kenny, "I'm gonna kill him, KAT. Just worry about Duck!"

Suddenly, a quiet voice away from the group called out, "Lee?" It was Clementine.

"Yeah?" Lee called back to her.

"There's _someone_ in there." Clementine replied, holding her stomach.

"It's just locked. Key's behind the counter. Probably." He replied, before rejoining the argument.

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. I'm just looking out for my daughter!" Larry yelled in his defense.

"No, you're just the guy arguing for killing a kid!" Kenny retorted.

"He's covered in muck! She'll find the bite. WATCH."

"She won't."

"And if she DOES?" Larry countered, "The first thing he'll do is sink his teeth into his mom's face. Then once she's dead, he'll probably pounce on YOUR little girl." He continued, turning to Lee.

"Then we deal with it then. But right now we're just freaking everybody out." Lee replied.

"Then get ready to deal with it because that boy is BITTEN."

Kenny interrupted, "It's not gonna happen!"

"It is and we're tossing him out NOW!" Larry shouted in his face, twitching slightly.

Lee stopped him, getting right into Larry's view, "NO. You don't touch that boy, you don't TOUCH anybody. I've got a little girl I'm trying to protect in here too. You want to get violent you old fuck?! Well, COME ON. You better have a plan to kill me though, because it's ME before anyone else in here."

All of a sudden, in the heat of the moment, there was a high-pitched scream that could've come from only one person in here. Clementine. Extreme worry creased Lee's forehead. Clementine had unlocked the washroom door, only to be jumped by a monster that had somehow managed to get locked inside. She reacted quickly and backed up, causing the thing to hit the ground and struggle to grab her ankles. "Jesus!" Larry exclaimed.

"CLEMENTINE!" Lee cried as he quickly rushed to get to her side. He bumped right into Lilly though and tripped, hitting the floor and blurring his vision. He quickly got to his feet and ran to Clementine who was trying her best to not get bitten by the crawling and snarling fiend.

"Get away from her you son of a bitch!" Lee barked as he grabbed the beast's shoulders and threw him back. Then, it turned on him, trying to bite his throat as Lee fought back. "Ah, God, get…off…ugh…" It got really close to biting Lee when a gun sounded and a bullet flew straight into its head, effectively killing it.

Lee pushed it far from him and leaned over onto his knees. "Man…"

Carley was holding her gun shakily, "You ok?"

Lee caught his breath, "Just great, thanks."

Glenn turned to the doors, "Uh…guys?" The monsters outside had heard the loud gunfire and were pounding against the barricaded windows.

The man on lookout stepped back in fear, before breaking out into a run to the farthest wall.

Lilly whispered an order, "Everybody DOWN! Stay QUIET!"

Everyone heeded the order and got down behind shelves and tables. Worry and fear was apparent on everyone's faces.

Larry peeked his head out from behind a shelf, his mouth in the shape of an 'O'. "They're gonna get in!"

"SHUT UP." Kenny half-whispered, half-ordered.

There was a sudden rat-tat-tat-tat of bullets in the distance, and large thumps and bumps. The loud noises luckily attracted the monsters away from the pharmacy.

"Is that the military?" Lee wondered out loud.

"I don't know." Lilly replied.

"Thank God for whatever it is." Glenn stated.

"We almost DIED because of this bitch and her itchy trigger finger! That was stupid! That was—"

Larry began, before groaning in pain and tightly clutching his chest.

Lilly cried out, "DAD!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"DAD!" Lilly cried out, rushing to her father's side. Larry clutched his chest tightly, yelping in pain as he collapsed onto the floor.

Lee said the first thing that came to mind, "Was HE the one bitten?!"

"NO. Don't be crazy!" Lilly replied, "It's his heart!"

"My pills…" Larry requested weakly.

Katjaa stepped forward, "Uh-um… Nitroglycerin pills?"

Lilly pleaded, "YES. We're out. We've been trying to get into the pharmacy since we got here! Please, try to get in there! Behind the counter, where the pills are!"

"We'll get in there somehow." Lee said reassuringly.

"Thank you so much. We need nitroglycerin pills. Please get in there. I'll keep an eye on my dad."

Kenny stepped up the plate, taking charge, "Everyone else should get comfy and look for anything useful. We could be in here a while."

"I'm starting to think this drugstore isn't a permanent solution." Glenn agreed.

"You're right, this ain't exactly Fort Knox."

Lee questioned Glenn, "What do you suggest?"

"We need as much gas as possible so we can ALL get out of downtown Macon. Fast." Glenn began, "There's a motel not too far from here, out towards the end of Peachtree. I'll work my way towards it and then loop back, siphoning what I can."

"You're insane."

"Well, it's gotta get done. Plus, I'm quick and I know Macon."

"Local?"

"Born and raised."

"If you're going to do that, here's a walkie-talkie if you get in a tight spot. Hopefully you won't need it." Lee said, handing him the talkie that he had found in Clementine's house.

"Cool."

"Clementine's got the other one. Check in with her and get back here as soon as you can."

Glenn nodded, pocketing the talkie.

Kenny spoke, still in 'leader mode', "And, you, what's your name?"

"It's Lilly. My dad's Larry."

"Keep a good eye on him. These boys will work on getting you your medicine."

"That's right." Lee supported.

"And you, you keep an eye on that front door. You're our lookout." Kenny continued, gesturing towards the man at the door.

"It's Doug, you got it."

"And I'm Carley." She said, standing behind Doug.

"Ok, Carley, you'll shift in with Doug when he needs it. For now, get some rest – you're a good shot and I'd like to keep it that way." Kenny advised.

Carley nodded, 'You got it boss."

Lilly narrowed her eyes, obviously in distaste of Kenny taking charge of the group while Kenny continued issuing orders.

"Now get him those pills." He concluded, before the group set off to do their own thing in the building.

Lee walked past a group of shelves in back, examining the place. He noticed an ATM. _It's not damaged; I'm glad this place didn't get looted._ He thought silently to himself. To the right of the ATM, he spotted a lone energy bar on the floor. He bent down and picked it up, before strolling towards Clementine who was sitting on a crate with her walkie-talkie.

"Hey there." Lee said, bending down to her height.

"Hi."

"Can I get you anything?"

"I'm ok." She assured, "Maybe I'm a little hungry."

"I'll see about that."

Lee gazed at the little girl who was almost a stranger to him. "So…uh…"

"Are you ok?"

"What? Uh, yeah, yeah, I-I'm fine. I just uhh, I'm good."

"That's good." Clementine replied, slowly nodding her head.

"Yeah, I think so. Being good is good. Despite the circumstances." This conversation was starting to get a bit awkward.

"Yep."

It seemed that the 'getting to know eachother' idea was a fault. So Lee decided to ask about Glenn. "Any word from Glenn?"

"Nothing. Is he ok?"

"Yeah, I think so. You're doing a good job. Well, sit tight." Lee answered, before getting to his feet.

"Ok." Clementine said with a small smile.

Lee walked past some more shelves, before discovering another energy bar. Thinking of giving it to Clementine, he pocketed it. Lee proceeded back to the little girl on the box.

"It's not much, but here you go, Clem." Lee said, offering the snack.

"Thank you."

"Of course." Lee replied, feeling better now that he knew he had taken care of Clementine.

Lee walked around a shelf and down the aisle, towards where Lilly was taking care of Larry. He felt the energy bar in his pocket and decided to give it to them. "It's not much, but here."

"Are you sure?" Lilly questioned with worry.

"Yeah. You're under quite a bit of stress."

"Thanks. That's uh… really sweet." She admitted, looking away.

"Don't mention it."

Lee looked towards the office door, considering to go through it, but he decided to continue talking to the pair on the floor.

"How's he doing?"

"I'm not sure I got your name." Lilly snapped, her previous emotions vanishing completely.

"It's Lee."

"Lilly. My dad's Larry."

"I was just doing what I had to earlier."

"Everyone was."

"You didn't have to call me a bitch in front of my people." Lilly frowned, " I don't need that shit, all right? It's hard enough to be in charge of people's lives without some dick cutting you down. And that violence before; with my dad – that didn't help."

Lee changed the subject, "You're from here?"

"I work at Warner Robbins. The Air Force base."

"Yeah, I know it. Pilot?"

"Nah, just mechanical admin stuff. I deal with a bunch of shitheads and bureaucrats all day. Sometimes a plane, if I'm lucky. You?"

"I work up at UGA."

The topic was over, so Lee asked about Larry, "What's wrong with him?"

"He's got a heart condition. He takes nitroglycerin tablets pretty regularly. I've seen a few bad attacks that he couldn't get over and needed to go to the hospital." Lilly explained worriedly.

"Yeah, that's not really an option right now."

"I'm just trying to keep him relaxed."

"He's got a temper."

Larry cut in angrily, "Ah, fuck you."

Lilly explained for Larry, "Yeah… he doesn't mean it."

"It's just that…"

"Yeah?"

"We've got kids here, families." Lee mumbled quietly.

"He and I are a family."

"I'm just saying some people can't handle a temper like that. Hell, it barely seems like you can."

"It's just his way. Don't make him the reason everything's screwed."

Lilly glanced at Clementine, changing the subject, "Where's her mom?"

"Savannah, I think."

"Oh, you guys aren't together?" Lilly assumed, misunderstanding.

"Oh, no, I'm not her dad. I found her in a house when getting out of Atlanta. She'd been surviving by herself." Lee leaned closer; making sure Clementine was out of earshot, "I think the girl's parents didn't make it."

"Oh." Lilly understood sadly.

"I heard an answering message, they were in Savannah, she was home with a sitter. It wasn't good." Lee explained, grimacing slightly.

"Well, she's lucky to have you." Lilly expressed, "I'm gonna get back to him now."

Lee nodded and turned to the door to the right of the family. On the door was a sign that read, AUTHORIZED EMPLOYEES ONLY. As well, there was a yellowed piece of paper that had been stuck on underneath the sign. It read, ALIVE INSIDE. Lee glanced sideways, thinking about his family, before reaching for the doorknob.

* * *

The door easily opened, and Lee stepped in. Clementine was tailing closely behind, peeking in for a look. Lee's face was filled with sorrow as his eyes took in the scene. "I can't… I can't think about them in here." He murmured. There was a mattress that had been placed on the metal floor. Covering a large majority of the mattress was a huge and messy blood stain, spilling out onto the tiles too. In the middle of the puddle, was a picture frame that had fallen and broken. There was a first aid kit nearby on a table and several other things.

Clementine swung the door back to its original position. There was also an door with a brightly-lit neon sign above it that read "Exit". It had been barricaded by a large, empty shelf tipped over on its side. Books and other things were toppled over. Windows were boarded up. Lee walked closer towards the messy mattress. He noticed the photo, _There's a photo over there._ Lee knelt down and slipped the photo out of the shattered frame. It was a photo of his family. Lee, dressed in a white dress shirt and black tie, stood the left of his mother and father. His brother was dressed in a distinctive, blue pharmacy uniform. They were smiling as they posed in front of the family drugstore. Lee smiled fondly at the photo, reminiscing, before frowning and taking the photo in his hands and ripping himself out of the picture. He put the remainder of the photo back down.

Suddenly, there was a voice behind Lee, shocking him, "Find anything?" It was Carley.

Lee turned to face her, dropped his half of the photo. "It's a photo of the family who owned this place. It might help us track down the keys to the office."

Carley stopped him, "I know who you are. You're Lee Everett. You're a professor at Athens who killed a State Senator who was sleeping with your wife. This is your parents' store; folks around town know the owner's son got himself a life sentence, but I'm a reporter for WABE in Atlanta. I paid attention to that trial. Maybe you're a murderer. But I don't really care. Frankly, that's a skill that might come in handy."

"Hmmph." Lee responded, shaking his head.

"Did you tell anyone out there who you were, or that you were tied to this place?"

"No. I've been sticking to first names for a reason."

Carley shook her head and stared at Lee, " You seem like an ok guy, and the last thing we need is drama out there. You've got this little girl to take care of, and… look, don't make me wrong on this."

Lee stepped forward, towering over the reporter. "I don't plan to."

"Good. Because if this lasts longer than a few days and you're a detriment to the group, then we'd have a problem."

"I hear you."

"I'll just keep it to myself."

"Thanks."

Carley looked away, embarrassed, before looking back up with a small smile, "Don't worry about it."

She turned and exited through the door and back into the pharmacy. Lee went back to examining the room. He looked at the bloody bedding. "My parents came in here hoping to survive… but it looks like one of them was hurt. I wonder if it was my dad." Lee chuckled softly, talking to himself, "Trying to be a hero, maybe. Or protect her, at least."

Lee walked away from the bedding and towards the blocked off exit. "This door leads to the back alley." Then, he remembered Clementine and headed to her, "Everyone out there seem all right to you?"

"Yeah, well, maybe not the sick guy." She admitted.

"Yeah. We'll keep an eye on him."

"There was that thing in the bathroom. It tried to get me."

"I know."

"But you stopped it."

Lee smiled, "Yeah, I did."

"Can you do that more?" Clementine asked hesitantly.

"Well, I'm not going to go looking for them."

"I mean get the dangerous ones."

"I'm going to try."

"Good."

"I'm going to keep looking around."

Clementine bobbed her head, "Ok."

Lee looked towards the door, deciding that he was finished with this room for the moment. He turned to Clementine, "Want to head back into the drugstore with me?"

"Ok."

Lee began to turn to the door when her small voice interrupted, holding her arms together, "Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not bad, right?" She questioned worriedly.

"I…uh, why are you asking me that?"

"That lady said you killed someone. Was that because he was one of the things trying to eat you?" Her eyes and tone hesitant.

Lee wondered what you should say when answering a question like this, "It's complicated. Sometimes things happen or… you do things and you can't explain them."

Clementine quietly nodded in understanding

Lee continued, "Let's uh… head back to the others."

He reached for the door knob, exiting the office and back into the drugstore.

* * *

Lee walked back to Lilly and Larry, "Hey. Was anyone here when you guys got here?" he asked fearfully.

" No, this place was pretty wrecked. We pulled a couple of bodies out of the office."

Lee's eyes widened and his face fell, thinking of his parents.

"Are you ok?" Lilly asked

Lee nodded quickly and uncomfortably, lying, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Did you know anybody here?"

"Yeah, the owners. They were… we were close."

"I'm sorry. We found an older couple in the office. Dad hauled them out in case they weren't really dead."

Lee nodded in sad understanding, before asking another question, "What do you think about all this?"

Lilly was quick to respond, "What is there to think? The dead are up, walking around, eating people and turning them into more… more of them. I mean, Jesus."

"We need to stick together and get through this."

"I'm gonna get back to him now." Lilly replied, gesturing to Larry.

Suddenly, a loud, anxious voice sounded from Clementine's walkie-talkie.

**_Hey there, this is Glenn, and uh, I'm kinda in a jam here._**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**_Hey there, this is Glenn and uh, I'm kinda in a jam here. Uh, little girl, if you're there, can you put your daddy on the phone? Or on the talkie, or whatever?_ **

Clementine handed it to Lee.

"This is Lee, what's up?" Lee asked, worry touching his features.

_-So… I'm down at the motor inn and, well, I-I'm stuck.-_

"Stuck?"

Glenn whispered, _-Yeah, I, uh, saw a chance to get some supplies for the group and a bunch of the roaming ones got the jump on me. I'm hiding over here but they won't leave.-_

Kenny asked, putting his hands on his waist, "What's up?"

"Glenn's trapped down at the motor inn." Lee answered, before talking to Glenn again, "Hey Glenn, we're gonna talk it over and send a group to come get you, all right?"

_-Phew, awesome. I'll sit tight 'till then.-_

"Sounds good." Lee agreed, before the connection between the two walkies cut off. He turned to Clementine, "I'm going to hold onto this until we get Glenn back, ok? I'll take good care of it."

Kenny cut in, "What do you think?"

"I think Doug's not great around zombies, and you've got your family here. I'll take Carley and her dead-eye down to the motor-inn, get Glenn, and get back here as fast as I can."

"If that's what you want to do…"

"Somebody's got to."

Carley spoke up, "Yeah, I'm in."

"Good. It doesn't sound too bad there right now."

"Let me know as soon as you want to head out. I could use a jog."

Lee walked past Kenny and his family, overhearing Katjaa saying, "We can't let anything happen to Ducky.", and Kenny replying, "I know, hon." He headed over to Carley, striking up a conversation.

"You're a pretty good shot."

"Well you don't fuck with a reporter, especially one that's three days out from her last cup of coffee."

"You ready to head out?"

"You got it. You?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go."

* * *

The two of them headed out the alley exit which was in the office and out onto the streets of Macon. Lee knew his way around Macon, so he led Carley to the motor-inn that Glenn was supposedly talking about. It didn't take too long to reach it. As they carefully approached the motor-inn, there was a loud grumbling.

"Shit! Get down!" They hid as one of those things dressed in a varsity jacket stood and turned their way. Fortunately, it didn't pursue them, as it silently stalked away. Lee and Carley peeked up from under their hiding spot; there were several of those monsters in the lot. Suddenly, there was a squeaking as the door to an ice-machine next to a vending-machine opened slightly and closed again.

"Did you see that?" Carley asked anxiously, hoping it was just a trick of the eye.

"Sure did."

The door continued to squeak open and close. "Be ready to shoot." Lee advised, as Carley aimed her gun towards it. The door finally propped over, and Glenn emerged, climbing out as soon as he saw them. "GUYS! Oh man, I'm glad you're here."

"Jesus, Glenn!" Carley scolded, shaking her head.

He hopped over the short brick wall and joined his comrades.

"All right, that wasn't so hard." Lee said, raising his eyebrow.

"Can we get out of here before any of these things notice us?" Carley requested.

"Not yet. There's a survivor trapped up there." Glenn denied, pointing up to a door next to the balcony. There were two monsters pounding against the door and wall, trying to get in.

"No way, we gotta go. NOW." Carley disagreed.

"LISTEN. I was out here looking for gas. And then, up there in the corner room, I heard crying coming from inside." explained Glenn quietly.

"Who is it?" Lee asked curiously.

"It's a girl. We talked and she got frightened. I was trying to get in and help her and she started yelling and saying I was bitten. I tried to convince her I wasn't and that's when all of these guys came out of the forest. A couple almost got me and I ended up hiding in the ice-machine."

"Lucky you; now let's go!" Carley insisted.

"We can't just leave her."

"Damn right we can't." said Lee, supporting Glenn's side.

Carley angrily whispered back, "You guys are suicidal. Over a girl!"

Glenn squinted at her, " I'm saving her, with our without you."

Lee agreed, "Think about if it was you."

"Fine. Let's go save Glenn's damsel in distress." Carley sighed.

The trio examined the scene; the two monsters were still busy pounding away at the survivor's door. In the motor-inn lot, there was a RV, and a red car. By the RV, there was a monster absently whacking at a wall next to one of the room doors that was boarded up. Next to the red car's wheel, was a pathetic, but still dangerous monster just laying there. There was also a monster in the middle of its meal that was closest to the group. They stealthily made their way behind the next brick wall.

Lee instructed, "Ok, this is the plan. We don't know how hard it's going to be to get her out of that room."

Glenn added, "Yeah, it's boarded up."

"So we have to kill every one of them in here."

As if on cue, Carley cocked her gun. But Lee stopped her, "QUIETLY. Noise attracts these things. Now let's have a look around."

Lee and Glenn peeked up over the wall, staring at the monster nonchalantly feasting on a body. Glenn commented, "Oh man. She's eating something. So we got that one right there, close."

Lee looked over to the right, in the direction of the balcony and the red car. He noticed a truck near the balcony. Glenn talked about the red car, "I saw one lurking on the other side of that car."

He returned to his original position and peeked up again, noticing the RV. "We can hide by that RV if we're quiet and keep our heads down." He signaled to Glenn to follow him to the RV. They quietly snuck behind the occupied monster. When they reached the front of the RV, Lee looked over to the side of the RV. There were two of the things, one still attacking the wall, while the other stared blankly into the side of the RV. Lee stopped looking. Glenn spoke up, "We're a little naked out here, except for Carley's gun and we can't use that much." Lee looked over to the side again; examining the monster just standing there. "I'm not sure I can take them both out myself, even if I had a weapon." He voiced out loud.

Lee decided to head back to where Carley was, "Let's head back to that wall. Safe there."

When Lee and Glenn made it back undetected, Lee peeked over to the left side of the wall, noticing a thin pillow on the ground.

"There's a pillow over there."

Glenn explained, "That's about as far as I got when it came to supply gathering."

"I might have an idea for it." Lee replied, reaching for it.

"Good luck smothering them to death…" Carley said sarcastically.

"That's not really what I have in mind."

Lee glanced over to the balcony side, taking note of the truck, "We can hide by that pickup." He and the others silently began to make their way there, keeping their heads down. As they reached the pickup, Lee looked up at the zombies hammering away at the door. "They really want to get into that room."

They made it safely, and Lee went up to examine the window, wondering if there was anything useful inside. Inside was a green awl. Not thinking first, he jammed his shoulder into the window, hoping to break it. "Ow!"

Glenn looked up in disapproval, "Hey man, that drew some attention. Be careful."

Lee decided to try a different method; he held the pillow up to the window. Glenn questioned, "What are you going to do with that?"

"I don't really know. Do you have any tricks for getting into cars?"

"Not without tools or making a bunch of noise." He began, before squinting, "And none with pillows."

Lee ducked back down, and looked over to the red car, "We can do something with that car, I bet, if it weren't for that fella lurking near the front." He had an idea to get rid of that '_fella_' near the car. He turned to Carley, "Get out your gun."

"But the noise…"

"Just follow my lead; stay right behind me."

Lee and Carley walked up to the zombie, who began to groan as he noticed them. As it began to attack, Lee shoved the pillow right into the thing's face, preventing it from moving forward. Carley jammed her pistol right into the pillow, pointing where the head would be and pulled the trigger. The pillow softened the noise of the bullet and the threat was eliminated. Glenn couldn't resist commenting on it, "That was sick!"

The zombies at the top of the balcony turned their heads, but resumed their attack on the door.

_Whew, thank God that worked._ Lee thought.

They crouched under the red car. The vehicle's front wheels were balanced on ramps. Lee tried to push the car off its ramps but it wouldn't budge a bit. He opened the car door and poked his head inside. There was a metal object on the driver's seat, which Lee pocketed. Next, he noticed the car's gear shift. He unlocked it. Lee closed the car's door and showed the object he had found to Glenn, "It's uh, a, sparky thing."

"Sparkplug. You should hold onto that, could come in handy."

After resuming his position, Glenn continued, "We can get that guy by the wall over there, I bet…" Reading his mind, Lee began to push the car in the direction of the fat zombie attacking the wall. It turned around at the sound of the vehicle inching its way closer and closer to it. It didn't resist however, and the car smashed into it, trapped it against the wall. "That was awesome!" Glenn expressed.

No longer having the option of hiding behind the red car, they retreated back to the pickup. Lee returned to the window, he pulled out the sparkplug and was about to jam it into the glass when Glenn stopped him.

"Wait-" Glenn said, gesturing to hand him the thing, "Let me see the sparkplug."

Lee handed it to him, and he proceeded to place the sparkplug on the cement ground. "The porcelain inside these things turns car windows to tissue paper." He stomped on it, revealing tiny bits of metal. Glenn picked a piece up and placed it carefully in the palm of Lee's hand.

Lee held the porcelain in his hand and proceeded to hit the window, shattering it instantly. The loud sudden noise unsettled the zombies above more than muffled gunshot and vehicle crash. Luckily, they did not pursue them and continued on to their business. Lee reached into the window, careful to not prick himself on the glass. He plucked the awl from its place and showed it to Glenn.

"That could scramble a brain pretty good." Glenn commented.

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

They made their way back to their original starting position. After that, Glenn and Lee once again snuck behind the munching zombie and behind the RV. Lee looked over to his right where the standing zombie was and examined his awl. "This pick is the prime walker killer. I should be able to take those guys out when they come around the corner of the RV. He whistled at it, attracting its attention. The zombie slowly staggered towards the source of the sound. As soon as it stumbled close enough, Lee jumped in front of it and swung the pick. The pick hit the zombie in the chest before Lee pulled it out and lunged for its face. Lee pulled the pick out, the zombie sliding off.

From behind him, Glenn was occupied with distracting the previously eating zombie who had also heard the whistle. He picked up a large wooden plank and whacked it in the head. He dropped it, "Lee! Get him!"

Lee carefully aimed his awl before jumping forward and nailing the zombie directly in its forehead, piercing its brain, and ending its days as one of the Living Dead.

"Nice!" Glenn thanked him.

"Thanks for having my back."

"For sure!"

The two of them snuck around the side of the RV, Carley following from behind. They went up to the monster trapped from behind the back of the red vehicle. It was trying to get unstuck. Next to the struggling, fat zombie, there was a wonderful fireaxe. As Lee got closer to it though, the zombie noticed him and tried to reach for him with its one arm. Lee attempted reaching for the axe but was blocked off by the zombie who snarled and growled at him. Trapping the zombie wouldn't be sufficient enough, Lee had to kill it to so he could get the axe. He thrust the awl deep into the huge zombie's head, where the awl found its resting place. The awl was jammed even deeper into his head and pierced through the back of his head when he fell over onto the hood over the car.

Glenn walked over, "Dude, where'd your weapon go?"

"Into that ice-pick sized hole."

"Haha, holy shit." Glenn snickered, impressed, "It's cool, now we've got THIS."

Glenn pointed to the fireman's axe they now possessed.

"Are you two done?" Carly said exasperatedly.

Lee reached for the axe, pulling it off its supports. He turned and looked at the zombies on the balcony. "Two more."

Glenn looked over, "That should help."

They walked over to the base of the balcony stairs. Lee turned, "Why don't you guys lag behind; just in case this goes to hell."

Carley agreed, "Ok. We'll be right behind you."

Glenn nodded.

Lee slowly stepped up the stairs, turned down the corner, and began to slowly approach the two zombies. As he got closer, the seemingly female one turned and faced his away, detecting him. She rotated and reached her arms out towards Lee, staggering to him. He swung the axe, hitting it in the side of its head, killing it. The other male zombie, hearing the clamor, also began to approach Lee. Lee curved the fireaxe from the side hard, slicing straight through the fiend's head and hitting the wall on the opposite side. "Rad." Glenn called it.

Lee and the others stood in front of the door. It was only then that Lee noticed the corroded walls, he wondered if it had only started corroding when the apocalypse began or had it been a while. The door had been barricaded by one long, thick piece of wood that had been hammered down, locking the door.

He went up to the door, placing his left hand on the surface and knocking with his other. "Hello in there? We're here to help."

There was a sorrowful voice that responded, "Please, just go away!"

Carley suggested, "Let's go, guys."

"In a minute." Lee replied, before speaking through the door again, "If you open up, we can take you somewhere safer. We've got a group in town."

"No no no. Please, no!"

Glenn interrupted, "She's in trouble!"

"Miss! We're coming in!" Lee called out, proceeding to kick the door.

"You might want to break through that board first." Glenn suggested.

Lee brought the axe down, splitting the board off. He reached for the handle, locked. Then, he started kicking his foot at the door. Suddenly, the woman's voice cried out, "Stop, just stop. I'm coming out."

The door unlocked and slowly opened, a ragged, pale, young woman dressed in pink exited the room. Lee and the others realized she had injured, blood dripping from the recent wound.

"You're hurt." Lee stated in disbelief.

"Oh, God." Carley expressed.

"I…I said stay away." the survivor said.

"We need to get you help." Glenn spoke up.

"It's too late for that." She continued.

Carley stated the obvious, "Guys, she's been bitten."

Lee and Glenn flinched, "What?!" Glenn exclaimed.

The stranger yelled sadly, "I told you. I said go away, I'm bit. But you wouldn't just leave."

Lee spoke, "Let's calm down. You could be fine."

"I won't be fine. My boyfriend was bitten. You get sick and you die and you come back and you kill anything you can find."

"You have a boyfriend?" Glenn said down, looking down with true remorse.

"GLENN." Carley shushed.

The woman ranted, "I don't want that. It's not Christian. Please, just leave me, please go."

Lee relented, "Ok, we'll leave. Just try to take care of yourself, for whatever time you have left."

The woman looked down, noticing Carley's gun. Her voice taking a persuasive tone. "You have a gun."

"So?" Carley questioned.

"Can I borrow it?" She slowly requested.

"What do you mean 'borrow'"?

"Give it to me. I can just, you know, end this and then – then there's no problem."

Lee exclaimed, "Whoa whoa whoa…"

"PLEASE. I don't want to be one of them. They're…they're…satanic." she pleaded.

Lee remained silent, "…"

Her pleading became hysterical. "Give it to me, PLEASE!"

Glenn anxiously stated, "This is crazy!"

Carley ordered softly, "Please, step back."

"It's just two seconds, just one bullet, and I can be with my family, and it'll all be fine." The woman insisted, slowly stepping closer to Carley.

Lee expressed, "Miss…"

"Back up!" Carley shouted.

The woman lunged at Carley's weapon, "PLEASE!" Carley resisted, while being pushed back by the woman. Suddenly, there was a loud splitting noise as the supports and foundation of the balcony began to topple. The gun was flung away and the balcony hit the ground with a deafening crash. Lee got to his feet. Carley looked around for her misplaced weapon when she saw it. The woman was in the process in picking up the gun.

Lee tried to calm her down, "Whoa, take it easy. We just want to help."

The woman slowly stepped back from Lee and the others, "You can't. She placed the barrel of the gun to her temple, her hand shaking.

"Miss, just relax now…you need to think this through…we'll find you a doctor," Lee began softly, "It'll be ok, let's all just….Nonono no, NO!" Lee cried as the woman pulled the trigger, sending the bullet flying through her brain.


	10. Chapter 10

**Andy's Note:** **Hey everyone! I'm so happy for all the feedback from the readers. One morning, I wake up to 13 reviews and when I come back from school, there are 19! Thank you so much! For those of you who are curious, the story at the moment is about 50 pages. As always, I hope you enjoy reading this series and stick it out till the end.**

Chapter 10

"It'll be ok, let's all just….Nonono no, NO!" Lee hollered, running towards the woman. It was too late, she pulled the trigger. There was a deafening bang and a thump as the woman's body collapsed onto the ground.

The gun lay discarded by the stranger's bloody corpse. Glenn slowly made his way towards it, bending over to pick it up. His hands were shaking as he felt the barrel of the gun, still warm. Glenn suddenly covered his mouth with his hand and heaved onto the ground. He wiped his mouth, quietly managing to muster, "Let's get out of here."

Suddenly, there was rustling of footsteps and leaves as zombies began to emerge from the woods. "Shit!" Lee silently cursed.

"Here they come!" Glenn exclaimed, as the group quickly bolted out of there and into his pizza delivery car, "Get in!"

Glenn slammed the accelerator, driving off into the night, losing the zombies.

The crew safely made it back to the pharmacy, Kenny asked Lee, "Everyone all right?"

"Yeah. We had some close calls but Glenn is fine, and… well, yeah… we're ok."

Glenn spoke up softly, looking down, "I've got a few cans of gas for your pickup in the trunk of my car."

"Good to hear it."

Carley stepped into the conversation, "And things back here?"

"Quiet." Kenny explained, "Our 'friend' is still in and out over there. He won't survive anymore stress."

Lee stated, "The next order of business is getting those pills out of the pharmacy."

Kenny nodded, before returning to his place by his family. Lee walked over to Carley, who was staring blankly at a machine. "Hey Carley. What are you messing around with there?"

"A radio. I can't get it to work though."

"Here, let me have a look." Lee offered, reaching a hand over and pulling it closer to him.

The radio was pretty simple enough; a large portion of it was the speaker, while the remaining side was divided into a channel setter and other controls. He adjusted the volume first, it was still silent. Then, Lee tapped the power button, "Hmm. Nothing." He flipped the radio over, where there was a lone battery compartment. He flicked it open.

"There are no batteries in this thing." He stated, flicking the compartment closed.

"What now?"

"You know that there are no batteries in that thing."

"Yeah, of course, I mean, yeah. No."

"I can try to find some. Needs two."

"Thanks, I wouldn't even really know what to look for." Carley admitted, obviously stating that she was horrible with technology.

Lee went on towards Doug, who was still standing on watch. Doug was a chubbier fellow with short brown hair combed to the right. He wore a short-sleeved t-shirt with a design of a polar bear or something on it, "Heard or seen anything?"

"Nothing, luckily. Want to step outside, have a look around?"

"Ha, I'm not suicidal yet."

"No, the gate out there is closed. We can hang out in front of the store and be fine."

"Oh, huh." Lee expressed, "Eh, not right now…"

"All right, let me know if you want to."

Lee walked over to a board next to Doug's head. It was a cork board with various posters and things held there with push pins. He walked around the shelves until he finally made his way to Kenny and his family. He overheard Katjaa say, "We just need to get back to Fort Lauderdale.", to which Kenny replied, "We'll do our damndest." Kenny noticed Lee.

"Hey Lee; you really gave that old man hell."

"Yeah. We got pushed, you know."

"You don't have to tell me; I was ready to tear the man's head off." Kenny began, "Anyway, we, Kat and I, appreciate your support."

Katjaa agreed, "Thank you, Lee."

Lee asked, "How's Duck doing?"

Katjaa answered, "He's ok, it was just a shock."

Kenny added, "We're lucky as hell nobody got nabbed on the way in here."

"No kidding." Lee replied, with a relieved smile.

"How's she doing?" Katjaa spoke up, looking over to Clementine.

"She's good, I think."

Kenny commented, "She's a tough one, right there."

"She's just a little girl, Ken." Katjaa scolded

"What were you sayin, Lee, she spent days surviving on her own?"

"That's right."

"Not just any little girl can do that."

"Are you guys all right?"

"We're just fine, considering." Kenny slowly nodded.

"How about you, Duck?"

Duck remained silent, staring at the floor. Katjaa spoke up for him, "We've all been through a lot."

Lee asked a different question, "What's the plan?"

"Hang tight, I suppose. Seems pretty dangerous out there, so we oughta wait for things to clear up."

Katjaa questioned, "You said your family was from here in Macon?"

Lee answered sadly, "That's right."

"Where are they? Should we go looking for them?"

"They're…gone."

"Oh my goodness, do you think? How?"

"I just know, all right?" Lee scowled.

"Kat, it's not our business." Kenny intervened, before quietly mumbling to Lee, "Lee, you got a second?"

"Sure."

Kenny and Lee walked farther from his family, out of earshot. He began, "Back on Hershel's farm…"

"Yeah?" Lee replied worriedly.

"I panicked, you know. I'm not proud of it."

"It happens."

"I guess, but I can't stop seeing him in my head."

"Yeah, that's…rough."

"I killed that boy. We could've saved him together."

"You didn't have a choice. You think you do, when you think back on it. But in a moment? When things are really out of control? You don't have any choice."

"I guess."

Lee gazed at the man in front of him; he decided to console him, "Try to let it go?"

Kenny stared back silently and blankly, before returning to his family's side. "Try to get some rest, hon." Lee heard him mention to his wife, "How can I with those things out there?" She replied.

Lee walked over behind the family, he noticed some old photographs. _I don't remember them very well._ Next to the hung up frames were newspaper clippings, which he briefly examined. Lee continued down the aisle, on the other end, again, were more photographs of his family. He brushed past the door and towards Doug, "How are we doing?"

"Good, want to go have a look around outside?"

"Let's have a look around."

"Ok." Doug said.

The wooden door opened with a slight as Lee and Doug exited the pharmacy. Lee looked side to side, careful to not attract any of the zombies' attention. He inspected the scene, "…Jesus."

The messy and destroyed street was littered with many of the things, as the monsters stumbled about pointlessly. Lee and Doug noticed a human body in which several of the monsters were partaking in. Part of the digestive track hung out of the body. Doug backed up, covering his mouth, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"They just…"

"Eat. As far as I can tell, that's all they care about."

"And if one gets you…"

"They eat you, and whatever is left comes back as one of them."

"How the fuck…"

"I think it might be more than a couple of days before all this gets sorted out."

"Yeah, I think so too. We better keep it down out here." Lee advised, before crouching to his knees. Doug followed suit. Lee examined the zombie-infested street. He noticed a television and electronics store, "Ha, too bad we don't have a way to come out here and watch the news."

"It would be nice to know what was going on elsewhere."

"Atlanta's in rough shape; that's all I know."

Lee noticed a hardware store, "Did you guys try to get in there and get weapons?"

"I did, but it was too risky. Then a bunch of guys showed up and THEY tried…"

"And what happened?"

"I think they're most of who you see wandering around out there." Doug explained, shaking his head sadly.

Lee continued to look around, before a zombie trapped under a pole caught his eye, "Look at the trapped over there..."

"Better him than us, huh?"

Lee squinted carefully at the walker, getting a better look. It was wearing a blue uniform and had a badge that said, B. Everett. His eyes widened, "Oh shit…"

"What? Do you know that guy?"

"Kind of. He…has a familiar face." Lee lied.

"Ah. You're from around here, huh? Could be anybody, you know? They start rotting and get all chewed up and-"

"Shut up, Doug."

Lee looked down, shaking his head as he thought of his former brother.

Lee continued, "Look at the uniform, though. He could've worked at the drugstore and died with keys in his pocket."

"It would take a lot of effort to make it safe enough to out there and see if he has the keys. If we can somehow prove that he worked here, I think it'd be worth it."

"I'll see what I can find…"

Then, Lee remembered the photo he had found on the bloody bedding. "That guy over there has the keys."

"How can you be sure?"

Lee pulled out the photo, offering it to Doug. "I found this in the office. That boy in the photo worked here. The keys being on him is as good a bet as we can make."

"Yeah, I agree. We just need to figure out how to get out there and get them." Doug began, "You wouldn't need long, right?"

"Nah, just a few seconds."

"Maybe there's a way to distract them and buy you some time."

To the right of Lee's brother, there was a window that had be boarded up badly, "Man, that's a hasty fortification job over there."

"Yeah, it didn't work."

Lee surveyed the street again, it didn't seem like there was anything they could do at the moment. He turned to Doug, "Let's head back inside."

"OK." Doug replied quickly.

The two men got to their feet and re-entered the pharmacy.

Lee walked around, briefly checking in with Clementine and Carley before striding towards Glenn, who was leaning up against a wall, "How are you doing, Glenn?"

"You know."

"What's your next move?"

"I don't know. I mean, you guys seem ok." He replied with a grin.

"What about your family?"

His face fell, "Yeah, I…I…"

"Forget it, man. That's your business."

"I hate feeling like I can't do anything."

"I know the feeling, man."

"Do you know the combination for the lock on the gate outside?"

"Why?!" Glenn demanded.

"Oh you know, I thought I'd go stretch my legs." Lee replied jokingly.

"You're probably better off breaking it if you have to."

Lee started a different topic, "Back at the motor-inn…"

"How can it be that bad so fast?"

"You know, when things are taken away, people do crazy shit."

"I guess, but that's not me. I'm not giving up, not for anything."

"Good, man. Good."

"I guess she really wanted that gun…"

"Seems like."

"Why didn't you tell Carley to just give it to her?"

Lee frowned, crossing his arms, "It would've been a waste of a bullet."

"What do you mean?"

"She was dead anyway. I'm not in the euthanasia business."

"Whoa, man. She was a person."

He shrugged, "She's gone now anyway. Try to get some rest."

"Ha, yeah right."

Lee walked away from Glenn, past Larry and Lilly, and towards the office door. He opened it, Clementine once again tagging along.

The scene had not changed. Lee went over to the door where the pharmacy's medicine would be kept. There was a desk and wooden pallet that had been pushed up against it. _I ought to clear a path to opening that door._ He leaned over the pallet, prying it off. As he lifted it off, that was a slight clang as a wooden stick fell over to Lee's feet. Clementine turned her head at the sound of it as Lee picked it up, smiling fondly at it.

"What's that?" Clementine inquired curiously.

"This was my dad's cane. He'd zip around here on it from time to time."

"Was he sick?"

"Nah, he was ok. I actually saw him whoop shoplifters with it. This cane's protected this place better than any guard dog ever could." Lee explained, as he tenderly placed the cane next to the pallet, "Plus he knew how to make it look cool. Like you, with your hat."

"My dad gave it to me."

"See, Dads' are smart like that." Lee stated, and then Clementine took her place by the door once again.

Lee moved back to the desk, "Better get this door clear, huh?"

"Can I help?"

"Sure." Lee said, smiling down at the girl.

The pair positioned themselves over the desk, "Here we go. Watch your fingers in the drawers."

They pulled the desk back; Lee asked Clementine, "How are you doing?"

"Yeah. It's not that heavy."

"How about with everything outside?"

"It's not good." She replied, looking down.

"No, it's not."

"But I think it'll be ok."

Lee smiled, "Ok, here we go."

"Ugh…grrr…ugh." Clementine grunted, as she pulled the desk back with all her strength.

She turned to Lee as he pivoted the desk, "Do you have kids?"

"No."

"You don't have a family?"

Lee changed the subject quickly, "What do your parents do?"

"My mom is a doctor and my dad is an engineer."

"Those are good jobs."

"What's your job?"

"I, uh, teach history and writing and things like that."

"Like…um…social studies?"

"Yeah, like that."

Clementine nodded in understanding, "You didn't answer my question…"

"All right, a little further." Lee replied, trying to avoid the topic.

The two of them turned the desk to face the wall. Lee was about to continue pushing when Clementine stopped him, "Why don't you want to talk about your family? Do they like…hate you?"

Lee closed his eyes and looked down, "I hope not. It's just complicated, that's all."

"Why?" she pressed innocently.

He frowned, "It just is."

"But you love them, right?"

"Yeah, of course." He replied.

Lee got to his knees, looking straight into her eyes, "Look, my family is gone and I just wish things would've been different."

"Yeah."

"I'm not a bad guy, ok? Things happened and we didn't talk much after that."

"My parents don't talk to me when I get in trouble."

"I can relate."

They then proceed to push the door farther back, until it connected with the wall.

"OWW!" Clementine yelped, jumping back. Lee reflexively turned. Clementine held her right finger, staring at it. There was a cut on it that immediately began to bleed.

"Are you ok?" Lee asked, worry creasing his forehead.

"I hurt my finger."

"Is it bleeding?"

"A little."

Lee gripped her gently by the waist and hoisted her up onto the desktop, "I'll find you a bandage."

Lee noticed a first aid kit. "There's a band-aid in there, I bet." He said, walking towards it. "Oh, good." Clementine breathed a sigh of relief. Lee flipped open the lid, revealing its contents. He searched around before plucking out a small band-aid. He went back to Clementine's side, taking out the band-aid, "Let's have a look at that finger."

He touched her bleeding finger, wiggling it slightly, "Ow."

"It hurt." Clementine expressed, wincing.

"Let's see if we can do something about it." Lee replied, reaching for the band-aid, "Let's get this cut covered up."

"Yes, please."

Lee carefully wrapped the bandage around her cut. When he was done, she smiled down at him, before it faded out to a frown. "Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"What if my parents come home and I'm not there?"

"They'll uhh… track us down. Don't worry."

"Yeah. Ok. We should keep a look-out." She suggested, "I've got my walkie-talkie in case they try that way."

"Stay close to me until then, ok?"

She nodded.

Lee went up to the medicine room's door. _The keys are on that zombie out on the street. _He took out his axe and tried swinging it at the handle. There was no effect. He would definitely have to try the zombie.

Lee curiously opened the drawer to the left of Clementine who perched on top of the desk. Inside the drawer were a few pencils and a stack of paper. There was also a television remote that Lee grabbed. _It's the remote to my dad's TV._

Lee aimed the remote towards the TV and switched it on. Just like he figured, there was no signal. He switched it back off. Having nothing else to do in the room, he headed towards the door. He opened the door and he and Clementine proceeded back into the drugstore.

Lee continued exploring the room, looking for batteries. He noticed the donation food box that Clementine sat infront of. "Looks like nobody got a chance to donate anything before this all went down." He resumed scavenging the place. Lee strode over to Kenny, "How are we doing?"

"If you don't mind, I think my family and I are gonna rest for a bit. Let me know if that asshole over there takes a turn for the worse."

"You got it."

Behind Kenny were some menus. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to menus for ice cream. _It's all melted now._ He walked away, noticing a tiny object on a shelf. It was a battery! He took his time and made his way over to the tiny thing and scooped it up. He walked back down the aisle and some greeting cards caught his eye. "No "I'm sorry to hear your loved one was eaten by the living dead," cards."

He headed back to Carley, handing her the battery. "This battery should fit the radio."

"Great, thanks." She replied, palming it.

After a minute of looking for another battery, Lee went up to Doug, "How are we doing?"

"Good, want to go have a look around outside?"

Lee agreed, and the duo once again exited the building.

They crouched down. Lee took note of the combination lock that had saved all of their lives. He pulled out his television remote, "Open sesame."

"That…won't work."

Lee frowned, "I was kidding."

"It's universal, but not that universal."

"I know, Doug."

Trying a different method, Lee proceeded to get to his feet and cut the combination lock from its place with his fireaxe.

"Awesome!" Doug commented, looking at Lee's handiwork, "Now to distract those things…carefully."

Lee looked over to the television store and pulled out his remote. He handed it to Doug, "Think you can do anything with this?"

"You know what I COULD do…"

"What's that?"

"It's universal; I could program it to work with those TVs across the street. Let's just hope the power is still on."

"You can just do that?"

"I memorized all the codes when I was in AV. Let's try."

Doug stuck his hand out through the bars, aiming the remote at the store. The televisions across the street flickered on brightly. On the screens were static.

Lee was impressed, "Well fucking done, Doug. All that dork nonsense might save a life."

"Who's to say it already hasn't?"

The sound of the static from the televisions attracted the attention of some of the walkers. "That got a few of them to take notice…" Doug voiced.

"But not enough." Lee stated, as the walkers resumed to absently stumble about.

Lee stood up, and quietly pushed the gate open a bit. Doug looked worried. He noticed a brick, and reached for it. Lee carefully inched his way through the gate and a bit out. He tossed the brick far across the street, smashing into the television store's windows and shattering them. The sound of the store's televisions and alarms attracted the horde, as they gathered to whack them.

Lee looked over to Doug, "Now's the time."

"Be careful." Doug warned, as Lee left the metal gates out into the now empty street.

"Keep an eye out, will ya?"

Lee crossed the street over to his trapped brother. The walker looked up in acknowledgment as it quietly groaned at him. Then, its groans became louder as he tried to grab Lee. Lee bent down a safe distance from it.

"Hey, bud. I don't know what happened to mom and dad. But I know…if you were there, you would've died for them, so…uh… Yeah. I'm going to assume that's what happened.

Doug stupidly called towards Lee, "Did you find them yet?!"

"Give me a second." Lee snapped back.

Lee closed his eyes and looked down, "I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry I wasn't here. But knowing you were… to take care of them, through all of it. That helped."

Lee got to his feet, reluctantly raising the axe. He brought the axe down onto its neck, splaying blood. The walker stopped moving, as Lee pulled up and gazed down sadly at his former brother. Suddenly the walker reached for his legs, Lee quickly jumped back. He raised the axe again, bringing the axe down again, cutting its neck again. It snarled in protest. Lee swung the axe yet again, still not killing it. He brought it down, but it just wouldn't cut through. He was about to swing down at his brother's neck again when the thing shifted and moved its head into the axe's pathway, effectively killing it.

"Ugh…God…" Lee gasped, reaching into the corpse's front pocket. He pulled out the pharmacy keys, "There we go." He got to his feet, waving the keys at Doug.

Doug smiled, and slowly turned towards the television store. "HOLY CRAP!" He exclaimed, "RUN!"

The walkers were beginning to lose interest in the televisions and began turning their way, staggering with their arms out towards them. Lee bolted back down the crosswalk, towards the pharmacy. Doug closed the metal gates as best as he could. Then, they ran back into the store.

Once inside, Doug braced himself against the doors, "Man, that was close."

"But we did it, that's all that matters."

Doug regained his posture. Lee headed over to where Lilly and Larry were, "I've got the keys."

"Great! God, you're amazing. Let's get in there."

Lilly and Lee entered the office, approaching the medicine room's door. He inserted the key into the lock, turning the handle. The door opened without a fight. They stepped into the brightly-lit room when suddenly; the store's alarm went off.


	11. Chapter 11

**Andy's Note: Hey guys! How's it going? I'm doing swell. I'm going to apologize in advance for the lack of chapters going to be uploaded this weekend because of some piano rehearsals I have to attend. I'll try my best to upload at least ****ONE**** chapter! As always…enjoy!**

Chapter 11

The pharmacy's alarm system blared, as Lee strode into the medicine room.

"Ah, shit." Lee cursed silently, rushing into the room.

"We gotta hurry!" Lilly ordered, following behind, looking for the much-needed medicine.

The sudden clamor of the bell raised the dead, luring the horde towards the entrance of the pharmacy.

Katjaa spoke softly, gathering her bearings, "Duck, c'mon baby, time to go."

Kenny yelled at the top of his lungs, "I'm gonna get the truck pulled up 'round back."

Lilly advised, helping her father to his feet, "Do it fast. I've got to get my dad out of here."

"I don't plan on dilly-dallying." Kenny retorted, he turned to his family, "Honey, take Duck into the office and barricade the living hell out of the door behind me. Glenn, when you hear me honking in the alley, start getting people out of here."

"You got it."

"Doug, Carley and Lee, you guys make sure our defenses stay up 'til then. And Lee, I better take that axe, in case I run into any of them on the way to my truck."

"Here you go" Lee called, tossing the weapon towards Kenny.

Suddenly there was a metal crashing outside the doors, "Guys, that door's not locked anymore!"

"Shit. You three get on it! I'll get back as fast as I can!"

Doug, Carley, and Glenn dashed towards the wooden doors, bracing themselves against the wild pounding and pushes.

Lee warned Clementine, "Stay away from the windows."

As Lee made his way to help his comrades at the door, he heard Katjaa cry out, "Glenn, we need your help! Please hurry!" Lee quickly ran to the door, taking Glenn's place in the middle. There was a crashing of glass as walkers threw blow after blow into the walls and bookcases.

Doug turned to Lee, still pushing back the doors, "Hey, Lee… if we don't make it through this, you should know that… I think you're a great guy."

"We WILL make it through this." Lee yelled back.

Carley began, "Doug, if we don't make it through this, you should know—"

Suddenly the doors pushed Lee back, as the walkers' attack became more furious. Lee quickly regained his place at the door, struggling to push the doors back into place.

"I should know WHAT?" Doug shouted.

"Huh?!" expressed Carley.

"You said I should know—"

Suddenly, the exchange was once again interrupted as the bookcase to the left of the front doors collapsed. Walkers poured in. Carley scowled, "On it."

"Are you sure?" Lee questioned.

"Oh, shit!" She swore, taking her gun out.

"Wha…? Oh, shit!" realized Lee, as the walkers slowly reached for Doug. Luckily, Carley shot the closest ones.

"Ok then…" Lee relented, before spotting Clementine, "Clementine! Can you look for something in-between the handles! Something real strong, ok?!"

"Ok!" She nodded, before rushing off.

The doors threatened to push open, as Lee forced them back, "CLEMENTINE! Did you find anything?!"

"Nothing! Oh wait!" She cried, an idea forming in her head.

There were more crashes of glass as they shattered, Doug exclaimed, "That window is SCREWED!"

Lee turned to him, "GO!"

Doug hesitated for a second, before nodding and heading to defend the other window.

Without his comrades to help, the doors pushed open again. Lee had to try even harder this time to force the walkers out. He shoved his back against the handles again. Clementine ran up to him, "I found something!" She handed him a stick that he recognized, it was his dad's cane. Without any second thoughts, Lee grasped it and slid the cane between the handles.

"Ahhhhh! Get off, GET OFF. GET IT OFF ME!" Doug yelped, as the walkers were threatening to pull him through the window any second.

"SHIT! I'm out! I'm OUT! LEE! Help! Ammo! In my purse!" Carley shrieked, as a walker gripped her ankle, pulling her closer and closer.

The scene seemed to slow down for Lee, as Clementine fearfully looked back and forth between their comrades as they both needed aid. Lee turned to Carley, before looking back to Doug. He was running out of time. _Sorry, Doug._ Lee thought numbly as he dashed towards Carley's purse. He rummaged through it, before pulling out a clip and tossing it to Carley. Carley quickly reloaded her gun and shot the gaining walkers.

"Ah, no! GET 'EM OFF ME!" Doug cried, before wooden boards covering up the window split open and the walkers dragged him through, "AHHHHHHHH!"

Doug kicked his legs, struggling to get out of their grip. They pulled him straight out the window, kicking and screaming, before tearing him to shreds. His pleads echoed through Lee's mind. Carley gagged at the noise, "Oh my God…" Before clenching her teeth and firing off a few more shots.

Kenny burst through the office door, axe in hand. "Let's GO!"

Carley dashed for the door, "They got Doug… They…they…" she absently expressed.

"It doesn't matter, you've gotta MOVE."

Clementine also ran for the door, before screaming as a walker grabbed her legs. Lee angrily rushed at it, stomping on its back several times. It finally let go and Clementine scrambled to her feet in a daze. Lee stepped over the zombie, before frantically running towards the door. Larry held the door open as Clementine stood behind him.

Lee fearfully ran from the walker, before feeling a firm hand placed onto his chest, stopping him. It was Larry. Larry gave Lee a dirty look, before screaming at him, "You're not coming with us, you son of a bitch!" He threw a blow towards Lee's face, knocking him to the cold floor.

"No!" Clementine cried, as Larry forcibly guided her away.

Lee's vision blurred when he collapsed onto the floor. Lee's hand naturally rubbed his area of collision. He looked towards the door, the endless darkness inside. _Is this where I die…?_ Suddenly, a figure appeared in the door. As Lee's vision settled, he realized it was Kenny! Kenny rushed to him, and then all of sudden raised his axe at Lee. Lee instinctively raised his hand, as if it would lessen the blow. Kenny brought the axe down, hitting not Lee, but the familiar walker he had stomped on before.

Kenny reached his hand out towards Lee, "I'm not letting somebody else get eaten today."

Lee gratefully accepted the hand.

"Especially a good friend." Kenny continued, pulling Lee to his feet and towards the door. Lee turned, the pharmacy was lost; walkers poured in from all sides as they shuffled uncomfortably closer towards them. Lee quickly reached for the handle and slammed it shut.

* * *

The group retreated from the lost pharmacy, heading their way towards the motor-inn that Glenn had gathered the gas from. The big yellow sign that hung above the inn read, Travelier MOTEL." It was shaped like an arrow. Lilly dragged the dead corpses, including the dead stranger, into a large, lumpy pile. She stared disgustingly at her hands, before wiping them against the sides of her jeans. Katjaa and Kenny were rummaging through boxes on the truck of their pick-up. Duck noticed Clementine, "Oh man, Clementine!"

Glenn was intently listening to the radio in his delivery vehicle. Lee was gazing sadly at his last remaining piece of his family. Sudden shotgun blasts broke the silence, attracting Lee's attention. Accompanied with these shots were piercing screams. Lee looked out into the distance, before the sounds disappeared. He looked back towards his group. Lee walked towards Glenn, "Hey Glenn."

Glenn raised a hand to stop him, concentrating on the broadcast. The radio was reporting on the status of major cities. Atlanta was in the middle of a stage 9 catastrophe. Glenn looked down, thinking. He looked back up, "I think I need to go."

Lilly turned her head, picking up on what he had said. She slowly began to make her way to them.

"To Atlanta?"

He nodded, "Yeah… I got friends there, and I just can't stay here knowing that they could be trapped in that city."

"It sounds like nobody knows what's happening there. When we left a few days ago it could've gone either way."

"I got to take my chances"

Lee noticed Lilly, whose eyes suggested stopping him. But he advised her not to intervene with a shake of his hand. She looked down, frowning, before walking away.

"You gotta do what you gotta do." Lee spoke.

"And I gotta do this."

"I respect that."

"You guys be safe."

"We'll try."

Glenn sadly glanced up at the balcony where Carley, he, Lee, and that woman had toppled from. He remained silent and motionless, before hopping into his vehicle, turning it on, and driving off down the road. Lee went over to Kenny and his family, "Hey Ken."

"Close call back there."

"Thanks for picking me up." Lee expressed, shaking Kenny's hand.

"No problem. We have to take care of each other."

"Yeah, we do." Lee smiled.

"Hey, about Clementine."

"Yeah?"

"Earlier I said there's some stuff out there that might screw up a precious little girl like her."

"You did."

"Well I still think that's true. But after what I saw today, I think, between you taking care of her and her taking care of herself, you two are going to be just fine." Kenny grinned.

"Thanks, Kenny."

"You got it." Kenny pointed, before heading back over to his family.

Lee headed over to Carley, who was poking around in a few boxes, "How are you doing, Carley?"

"I'm ok. You know, considering."

"I do, yeah."

"I can't stop thinking about Doug. We couldn't have saved him, could we?"

"I don't think so. It happened pretty fast."

"I know it's stupid…we'd just met… and he was such a… it's just that… I think that I liked him."

"I'm sorry, Car."

"It's ok. Thanks though. There's been a lot of death in the past few days. Anyway, I'd rather be alone I think."

Lee nodded, "I understand." He turned to walk away, when Carley interrupted him.

"Wait, Lee?"

"What is it?"

"How did you choose? We both needed you… you picked me."

"I thought you needed the help."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"But it wasn't a choice, like that. It was… just something I did. I don't know why."

"I just wish we both could've made it, you know?" She admitted.

"Me too, Carley."

She resumed rummaging through the boxes, and Lee walked away. He walked towards Clementine and Duck, noticing that Larry was glaring at him from the back wall. Duck was in the middle of telling a story about dinosaurs and monsters to Clementine. Lee cleared his throat, cutting in, "Hey Duck, you want to cool it for a minute?"

"Ok, sorry."

Lee looked down at Clementine, who was silently leaning against the vehicle. He got to her eye-level, "I'm sorry, there's uh, not a lot of kids here."

"No, it's not that. It's… I got grabbed again."

"I was there though."

"I fell… and my walkie-talkie broke. Glenn had the other one."

"Aww, I'm sorry."

"Thanks. I know I need to be though. I'm just sad."

"I know it doesn't make any sense…but it's how I used to talk to my mom and dad…and now they're gone. It's gone."

"Maybe we can find you another one."

"I'll just keep this one, I guess." Clementine quietly concluded.

Another voice spoke, "Lee, come here for a second." The voice belonged to Larry.

"Let me go deal with this." Lee told Clementine. As Lee got to his knees, Duck resumed his 'fascinating' story.

Lee walked over to Larry, asking with a serious tone, "What do you want?"

"You like my daughter?"

"Not really." Lee replied, crossing his arms.

"Good. Stay away from her; or everyone her knows that Lee Everett is a killer. And I'm not talking about those THINGS out there. You hear me?"

Lee shrugged, looking away.

"I asked you a question, boy."

Lee looked back, still remaining silent.

"Then again, I wouldn't expect a convicted murderer to listen to anything anybody's got to say. I know who you are. And I don't give a shit about what happens to you. But if anything happens to my daughter or that little girl you've got with you, heh, you watch your ass." Larry snapped, before rudely brushing past Lee.

Suddenly, Lilly spoke up, "Hey, Lee; do you have a second?"

Lee glanced over his shoulder at Larry who was glowering at him. He grimaced. Lilly continued speaking nevertheless, "My dad would be dead if it weren't for you."

Lee looked down, a guilty look on his face, "That guy, Doug, is dead because of me."

"You can't be like that. You're only one man."

"I don't know…"

"We're lucky to have you."

Lee looked up and smiled, before there were sudden loud booms. They reminded Lee of the sound fireworks made. But in this world now, that was impossible. Lilly and Lee nervously glanced up. Kenny broke the silence, "I hope that's the sound of us winning this thing."

"Me too."

"This motor inn's pretty damn defendable. We block off the entrances with some cars and keep someone on watch and we could stay here until the military rolls through."

The three of them began walking towards the road, Lilly agreed, "I actually agree with that plan."

"Me too." Lee supported.

Kenny continued, "We've got beds, we've got water and most importantly, we've got light. There are worse places to call home."

Lilly approved, "Yeah. You're right. You know guys, I think it's going to be ok."

As if on cue, the motor inn was suddenly plunged into complete darkness as the area's electricity began to shut off. "LEE!" Clementine cried, dashing towards him.


	12. Chapter 12 Starved For Help

**Andy's Note: WOOOOOAAAAH. That was a huge break than I expected. It might've confused a bunch of you for my long absence. In my defence, I had to go to a bunch of piano recitals and had a load of homework to finish. Don't give up on me because I'm definitely not giving up on this story and the fans! This chapter might be a little shorter but I'll make up the long delay of chapters and such with longer and more exciting parts. I love the reviews and appreciate the support and advice you guys give me. As always, enjoy the upcoming chapters and if you have the time, give a review! OH. Also, since in Pewdiepie's Let's Play of The Walking Dead, he has to replay the thing because of his problems with his files. So, I'll be changing Doug to Duck. I hope it won't make that much of a difference. Sorry for all you Doug fans. (I like Doug too.)**

**The Walking Dead Episode 2/5**

Chapter 12

_Three months later_

There was a slight rustling of leaves as Lee crept forward, axe in hand. There was an oblivious walker before him, snacking on something nonchalantly. He positioned himself behind it, taking aim. He raised the axe highly above his head and brought it down. The axe came down and struck the walker in the head with a sickening _crunch_. Lee nudged it with his leg off the axe and it sank towards the ground. He looked down at the corpse of his kill and there was another rustling of leaves from behind him. It was Mark.

Mark had been a new addition to the group after recently fortifying the motel. Before this all had gone down, he had been employed at the US Air Force base. When Lilly suggested searching her former workplace, the group had happened upon him taking refuge in the base by himself. Lilly had seemed reluctant to having him stay with them but when he had offered to share his commissary food, she seemed to lighten up and agree for him to join them. Mark wore a pair of thin glasses and had 9 o' clock shadow. His hair was black and neatly combed back. He wore a black jacket with a wings design on the back. He looked over to Lee.

"Damn, what'd they get this time?" He sighed, shaking his head.

Lee examined the walker's half-eaten meal, "Looks like a rabbit."

"Ugh, that's another meal lost. I still can't believe we went through all that commissary food in three months. It seemed like so much at the time." Mark expressed, as they turned from the two carcasses and strode slowly away.

"Maybe you shouldn't have opened the door."

"Yeah, except then I'd probably BE food right now. Trust me, I have no regrets."

"Well, a rabbit's hardly a meal Mark, but I'd take it. We're all hungry."

"No kidding."

They continued walking aimlessly through the forest when Mark spoke up again, "Last night, I heard your friend Duck laying in bed just naming types of pie. It was driving me nuts. I think he's starting to lose it."

"He's not the only one. Just cut him some slack."

"Yeah, you're right. I wish I knew for sure how much food we have left."

"Not enough. According to Lilly, we've just about hit the last of our food reserves. Some people might have to go without tonight."

"You mean _Lilly's Lottery _again? Kenny's gonna be pissed."

"She thinks everyone should have an equal chance of missing a meal."

"You think Kenny's having more luck than we are out here?"

"I sure hope so."

"Yeah, between the lack of food and Kenny and Lilly fighting all the time, things are getting pretty tense back at the Motor Inn. You know, Kenny's been talking about taking off if he can get that RV running."

"He's got a wife and son to look after." Lee replied, giving his opinion on Kenny.

"And they're safest in a group. Going out on his own will get them ALL killed. Can't blame him though, did you hear Larry going off on him last night? What's the old guy's deal anyway? Seems like he's got a problem with you in particular."

There was a sudden cawing of a crow as it flew over the clearing. Mark took notice of it.

"He thinks I'm a danger to the group and Clementine."

"I think he's the one putting us in danger. The way Lilly worries about his health, I wouldn't be surprised if she starts saving rations for him. And I know Lilly thinks he's getting weaker, but the guy's all muscle. He's a walking piledriver. I know I wouldn't want to be stuck in a room with him. And didn't he punch you in the face one time?"

"Knocked me flat." Lee answered bitterly.

Mark and Lee followed the cawing of the crow as it perched itself on the branch of a lofty tree. Mark saw the opportunity and positioned himself discreetly behind a large rock. Lee followed. Mark raised the scope to his eye, aiming for the prey.

Lee advised, "It's a long shot. I'd hate to waste the bullets."

"Trust me. If I don't think I can hit it, I won't shoot."

Mark focused his gun on the bird, squinting. He pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang as the bullet soared past the bird, missing it. In surprise, the crow quickly flew away. Suddenly, there was a loud and piercing yell that echoed through the forest, attracting Lee and Mark's attention.

"Shit! Was that Kenny?!" Mark shouted.

"I don't know! Come on!"

The two of them scrambled to their feet and scurried into the bushes, towards the source of the noise. They ran through the forest, stopping for a second, only to hear the sharp yell once again. It led them to an opening in the forest where they saw two teenagers assisting a man who was on the ground. One of the boys, a black haired one that looked way too much like a jock, was fiddling with the trap that had ensnared the older man. The older man kept yelling in pain as the other boy who was brown-haired watched in fear. The older man's left foot had been trapped in a red bear trap, almost camouflaged by all the blood spilling out.

"Jesus Christ…" Mark expressed, his eyes wide with shock and fear.

Suddenly, the three men noticed them, the black haired one pleaded with his hands up in the air defensively, "Oh shit! No. No…Please don't kill us! We just want to help our teacher! We'll leave, I swear!"

Suddenly Kenny came running into the clearing, joining the chaotic scene, "Lee! You guys okay?" He turned and stared at the scene enfolding among them.

The older man begged, clutching his knee in pain, "Get it off! Get it off, God Dammit, get it off me!"

The brown haired boy spoke up, "Travis, maybe they can help!"

"These might be the same guys that raided our camp and…we barely got away from that!"

Mark questioned, "What guys?"

Kenny shouted, "Why the fuck is there a bear trap out here?!"

The brown haired boy replied, "I don't know man!"

Lee asked, "Who raided your camp?!"

"I-I don't know! Guys with guns!" he replied, raising his arms like he was under arrest.

"Please! We won't bother you, I swear!" Travis said.

Mark turned to Lee," Lee, this is fucked up. We've gotta help 'em."

The brown haired boy pleaded, "PLEASE!"

Travis half-yelled and half-whispered to him, "Ben, shut up! My dad was Special Forces, I know what I'm doing!"

Ben grimaced and ignored him, "Just see if you can get him out! After that you can leave us or whatever, I don't care! Please!"

Lee agreed with urgency, "We've gotta get him out of there."

The man on the ground cried out in pain and relief, "Oh God, thank you!"

Kenny relented, "Fine, but you've gotta hurry!"

"Hurry… please hurry…" The man begged as Mark began to examine the trap.

There was a low moaning combined with slow, dragged steps as a walker emerged from a behind a nearby tree. The group didn't notice.

Mark looked up from his work, "Lee, this trap's been altered. There's no release latch."

The moaning got louder, turning Travis's head towards the noise, his eyes widened, "…Oh, no."

Walkers were beginning to stumble their way towards the group, attracted by the blood that was sweet to them and noise that was music to their ears.

Kenny cursed, "Shit! Walkers! It's now or never, Lee."

The man cried out weakly, "Please… get me out of this!"

Lee stepped closer to the man, "Mark, get the boys back! Kenny, keep those walkers off of me!"

The scene was becoming more and more chaotic by the second; everyone was speaking all at once. Lee knew what Mark had said, there was no release latch, and he doubted that his axe could cut through that strong chain. He knew what had to be done. Lee slowly got off his knees.

"Oh, God." The man whispered, understanding the look in Lee's eyes.

"I'm gonna have to cut you out."

He frantically refused, shaking his head wildly, "No no no! Try the trap again! Anything, please!"

There was nothing else that he could do, Lee raised the axe up high and reluctantly brought the axe down, slashing into the man's leg.

"AAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" He screamed, clutching his partially dismembered leg.

The leg wasn't fully cut yet. Lee closed his eyes tightly and brought the axe down again. The man screamed again. Again he swung the axe. The bloodstain on the grass was getting larger and redder. Lee was trying his best to not think about what he was doing as he brought the axe down once more. Finally, the axe carved its way through the man's leg. There was a slight _sssssssssss_ as bloody sprayed out. Giving out another yelp of pain, the man collapsed. Travis and Mark looked upon Lee's handiwork.

"Oh, God!" Travis expressed, before dashing towards a spot to throw up. Ben took his spot.

Mark whispered, "Shit. Is he…?

"He passed out." Lee replied.

Lee looked down at the man, there in the pool of blood, was the red bear trap encasing his discarded leg. Kenny ran forward to them, "If he's alive, grab him and let's go!"

The walkers were gaining in great numbers. Mark stepped forward and hoisted the unconscious man up onto his back. He and Kenny began walking towards a safer direction. Lee turned to Ben, noticing Travis, "BEHIND YOU!"

Ben cried out, "TRAVIS!"

Travis was wiping his mouth from his spill, confused about the ruckus. Lee prevented Ben from going any further, "Come on, come on! We gotta move!"

Travis turned, remembering the situation, "AHH!"

Several walkers were approaching him, he stupidly inched his way back, his movements impaired by his fear and shock. He clumsily tripped back and hit the floor, staring with wide eyes at his gaining pursuers. He backed up until he collided with a large rock, "HEELLP-AHHHH—ahhhgggrkkk! He shrieked, before three walkers tackled him and began tearing at his throat.

"NOOOO!" Ben yelled in sorrow as his comrade began to be devoured. One of the walkers stabbed through Travis's abdomen, ripping out an intestine as Travis gave his final and most piercing cry.

**Andy's Note:** **Eeeeh? How was that chapter, audience? I might've gotten a bit rusty since it's been a while since I've written this series. I have this idea for a one-shot and I'll be starting it really soon. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review; was this chapter not as good as the others? What do you think?**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

**Andy's Note: Hey everyone! How's it going? I'm doing fine myself. For those of you who have seen the reviews page for this story might've seen the review that was posted by my account. It turns out to be just a WHOOPSIE by my sister. I showed her my fanfiction a while back and she was getting really into it, so she decided to give me a review to support me. But…as you can see, she didn't realize that she was on my account and…yeah. I made a review right after to clear things up but just in case, I'm putting it in this AN(Andy's Note)… INCONSPICUCOUS SUBJECT CHANGE. So, if you've been keeping up with this novelization, you would know that we're purty close to the beginning of Episode 2 of The Walking Dead. Since it took 11 chapters to finish one episode, we can kinda estimate the novelization would be atleast 55 chapters. So, I hope you guys stick it out till the end with me! As always, enjoy the read and if you have the time, give a review! (Longest Andy's Note ever. I should drag it out but naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaah…nevermind.)**

During the chaotic scene in the forest clearing, things back at the Travelier Motor Inn were quite calm and peaceful. If it weren't for the deep pang of hunger that all of them felt, they would all probably be somewhat content. Larry hammered with a rock used as a make-shift hammer continuously at the barricade. The barricade had been set up with a bunch of wooden planks, cars, and other useful things they had managed to find in the area. One of them had also been lucky to find some barb wire just for extra protection.

With most of the vehicles and debris out of the way, the lot was quite empty except for the RV and a number of other things, such as a couch, lawn chairs, some barrels (**BARRELS.)**, and a large piece of wood that Duck was happily doodling on. On top of the RV, dangerously perched a lawn chair that was used for lookout duty. At the moment, Lilly was on guard, her rifle by her side. Katjaa paced towards Duck to check up on him while Clementine absentmindedly and repeatedly kicked a soccer ball they had scavenged at the empty barrels. When they had arrived at the motor inn three months earlier, the balcony had collapsed, but the group had found some tools and adhesives and restored it to the best of their ability.

Lilly looked around the lot; first at Duck and Katjaa, then Clementine, then her eyes rested upon her father who she smiled fondly at. Suddenly, there was a loud rustling in the leaves, turning Lilly's head. She curiously peered into the leaves, reaching for her rifle and getting ready to shoot. As she concentrated on aiming, the sound of Clementine's soccer ball colliding with the barrels and bouncing back over and over again became like a loud metronome. Lilly looked down at her group and whistled, giving the signal that there might be danger lurking. Everyone ducked down. It was quiet, with only the faint sound of winds through the leaves.

Suddenly, Lee emerged from the brush, surprising Lilly. He began dashing towards the make-shift gates, "Get the gates open! We've got wounded."

Lilly cursed, placing her weapon back down, "Shit. What the hell are they doing?" She scooted off the roof of the RV, heading over to Lee and the newcomers. The rest of the group gathered by him as the scene became messy as everyone began talking at once, wondering what was going on. Katjaa ordered, "Get him into the truck, I'll see what I can do."

"Kat, can you fix him?" Kenny asked worriedly.

"Jesus, Ken! I…I don't know!"

They were interrupted by the loud and frustrated call of Lilly's voice, "Lee! Lee! What the hell?! You can't just be bringing new people here! What are you thinking?!"

Kenny retorted, "Hey, you wanna calm down for a fucking minute?!

Larry spat, "Hey! Watch your mouth!"

Lilly replied angrily, before turning to Lee, "No, I don't! I want to know why you thought bringing more mouths to feed was a good idea!"

"Jesus Christ." Mark expressed.

"He would have died, if we left him!" Lee explained in his defense, his brow furrowing.

Larry scoffed, "So what?"

Lilly shot back at Lee, "We are NOT responsible for every struggling survivor we come across! WE have to focus on OUR group! Right here. Right now."

Mark cut in, defending Lee, "Come on, Lilly. These are people! People trying to survive just like us. We've gotta stick together to survive!"

"The only reason you're here is because you had food. Enough for ALL of us. But that food is almost gone, we've got maybe a week's worth left." Lilly replies, turning to the Ben, "And I don't suppose you guys are carrying any groceries, are you?!"

Ben nervously answered, "Uh..no?"

Mark relented, "Fine. You guys fight it out then. Welcome to the family, Kid."

While Mark was speaking, Clementine had walked towards Ben, attempting to get him away from the big argument, "Come over here and see what I drew." She requested, tugging on his hand.

"What? No, I-"

"Just come on, okay?" she pressed, pulling him towards the drawing board.

Kenny continued the argument, "You know, you like to think you are the leader of this little group, but we can make our own goddamn decisions! This isn't your own personal dictatorship!"

"Hey, I didn't ask to lead this group! Everyone was happy to have me distributing the food when there was enough to go around. Now that it's running out, suddenly, I'm a goddamn Nazi!"

Lee stepped in, "Lilly's right. This group needs someone to be a leader or we're all going to fall apart. We can't keep fighting amongst ourselves."

Kenny frowned, before walking towards the couch by the RV. "Great. Way to take sides, Lee!"

Lilly turned back to Lee. Lee began, "Look, they're here now, we can't change that… so what do you want to do?"

"… They can stay until Katjaa finishes working on that guy. Then they HAVE to go. I don't care what condition they are in. We just don't have enough food."

Larry cut in, "I don't see any of you stepping up to make the hard decisions! My girl's got more balls than all of you combined!"

"Dad, please. Why don't you go help Mark with the wall?"

Larry heeded and grumpily stalked off to assist Mark fortify the place. Lilly continued to speak to Lee, "Look, I can't do this right now. You under what I'm dealing with. Please do me a favour, I need you to handle the rations today." She headed over to a small child's backpack placed next to the RV's left front wheel and reached in, rummaging around for a moment. She pulled out only four food items.

"That's all you're giving out?" Lee questioned in disbelief.

"If we're gonna make what's left last the week, then this is all we can spare for today. It's not gonna be enough for everyone, but… Just do what you think is right."

Lee sadly nodded, entrusted with the task of giving out four food items for ten hungry people. Even a person who got the food item would still be hungry because of the lack of it. In his hands, he held a thin piece of beef jerky, two crackers and cheeses, and half an apple. In another life not so long ago, these would've called snacks. But now they were what the group had to keep going another long day. He remorsefully put them in his pockets and looked up. Everyone was looking at him silently, having gone a long time without proper food. This made it even tougher. Lee could understand how Lilly must've felt each day handing out so little rations to so many people. He thought about Clementine first and strode over to her.

"How ya doing, Clementine?" he gently murmured.

"Okay."

Lee noticed that there was something missing from Clementine's complete look, "Where's your hat?"

"I don't know. Can you help me find it?"

"Sure. When did you lose it?"

She shrugged, "I had it a couple days ago."

"I promise if I find it, I'll let you know."

"Thank you."

"Okay, Clem. I've got to take care of some things. Why don't you go back to playing with duck for a while."

"Okay."

She went back to coloring on her piece of scrap paper. Lee crouched down to her height, "Here Clem, you need something to eat."

She had an eager, innocent, and patient look in her eyes. Lee handed her one of the food items, the apple. She took it gratefully, "I love apples. Thank you. Are there more?"

Lee hesitated, "No. That was the last one."

"Oh…um…" She replied, looking away.

Lee smiled, "Enjoy it. You deserve it."

He got back on his feet and left Clementine to continue her doodle. There were three pieces of food left now. Lee noticed Kenny, lounging on the couch next to the RV. He made his way over to the man fiddling with a pipe, twirling it in his hands, "Want something to eat?"

Kenny glanced up, a strange look on his face. Lee decided to give him the piece of jerky, offering it to him, "Here, Kenny, take this."

"How about my boy? He eat yet?"

Lee's brow creased, "Uh…No."

"Come talk to me once my boy's taken care of."

There were still three pieces of food left. Lee walked back over to the group of three by the drawing board. "Hey, Duck, how about a little food?"

Duck sat up from his laying position and grinned from ear to ear, eager and joyful to have something to eat. Lee reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of jerky that had originally been offered to Kenny, "Here."

Duck smiled big and reached for the food item, "Yeah! Oh, man. I'm so hungry!"

Lee felt the sides of his mouth turn up slightly.

Now that Kenny Jr. was taken care of, Lee casually made his way once again over to Kenny who was still toying with his pipe. Lee asked him again if Kenny wanted some food, "How about my boy? He eat yet?"

"Yeah, I gave him something."

"Sure, then hand it over, I'm starved. Thanks." Kenny smiled graciously, taking up Lee's offer on food. Lee felt the eyes of everyone else on his back as he gave Kenny the second last food item. Lee felt his pocket and pulled out the last food item, it was the last crackers and cheese of the day. He had to make a choice, should he keep the last piece of food for himself? Or should he save the piece for someone else?

After a moment of thinking, he said to nobody in particular, "Nah. Some of these people have gone longer than me without food. They're the ones that need it."

Lee contemplated whom the last food item should go to, he considered the newcomer, Ben, but he wasn't quite sure if Ben deserved the food seeing as he was new. He looked over to Katjaa, who was working carefully on the injured man's leg, but decided that she could last a little longer. Lee noticed the barricade that was potentially saving all their lives, "Sturdy, but it's not gonna hold up forever, just like the rest of this place." He commented in a monologue.

Lee spotted Mark and Larry working on the barricade, when he heard Larry shout, "Will you hold the damned boards steady?!"

"I'm trying. I didn't realize I was getting this weak already."

"What do you want? A hand out? I've got 60 cents in my pocket if you'll shut up and quit being such a pansy."

Lee grimaced; Larry wasn't exactly his _favourite_ in the group. If Mark was getting weaker without food, then it would be best to give him some to conserve his energy. He walked over to Mark, who turned and nodded at him in acknowledgment. Lee offered the last food item, "Here, eat something." Mark smiled slightly at the idea of eating.

"Thanks, Lee." Mark expressed with gratitude.

"Need any help with the wall?"

Larry cut in rudely, "Nope."

"Actually, we could use your axe. You mind if we take it?

Larry agreed, contradicting his previous statement, "Yeah, give us that thing for a bit."

They both held their hands out for it. Lee didn't really trust Larry with an axe, in case he decided to go psycho, so he handed Mark the weapon, now tool, "Here Mark. This should help."

"Thanks."

Larry growled, "Hey, I'm the one doing all the work over here. You didn't think to give me the axe?"

"Come on, Larry, give it a rest. I'm sure Lee is getting pretty sick of you thinking he's a danger to the group." Mark blurted out.

Larry turned to Lee and sneered, "Is that what you told him?"

"Yeah, that's right." Lee frowned back.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Larry threatened, stepping closer.

Mark intervened, "Look, I don't care what it is, but you two have got to start trying to get along."

"The only thing I "have" to do is protect my daughter. And right now, that means getting this damn wall fixed so I'd appreciate it if you two would shut up and let me get back to work." Larry retorted.

Lee looked at Mark, shaking his head in disapproval. Mark looked down.

There was no food left for today. Lee made his way back to Lilly who was still standing on guard duty. She watched as he approached and nodded, "Not such an easy job, is it?"

"I don't envy you. I don't know how you have the strength to do this every day."

"I don't have a choice."

Kenny placed his pipe by his side on the couch and stepped up to Lee, "Hey, thanks for looking out for me and my family…"

"Yeah, of course."

"Still, I guess some people aren't gonna be happy with your choices."

Lee looked down, when suddenly a loud, angry, and familiar voice boomed from behind him, "You're out?! What happened to my food?!"

Lee turned to see Larry stomping up to him, "There's none left."

"You keep treating people like this and your days in this group are numbered!"

Kenny cut in, "You're one to talk, old man."

"Yeah, well I don't see you working on that wall!" Larry snarled, before heading back to Mark's side.

Kenny strode back over to his seat on the couch, when suddenly Katjaa's voice rang out, "Ken! Lee! Come here, please."

Kenny and Lee walked over; Kenny asked sadly, "He didn't make it, did he?"

"He…lost too much blood."

"God dammit." Kenny cursed, before throwing down the pipe, making a loud clanging noise before it settled on the ground. He walked away.

"Ken, come back, there's nothing…"

"Let him go, Katjaa."

"But-"

"He just needs time. It's been a rough morning."

"That man you brought… I tried, but he was never going to survive."

"Well… at least he's not our problem anymore."

Katjaa paused, and turned to look at Ben who was silently watching Clementine and Duck draw, "What about the other kid?"

Lee was about to reply, when suddenly there was a loud groaning and snarl from behind Katjaa. A pair of rough and pale white claw-like hands reached up and grabbed her from behind, attempting to chomp at her head.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**Andy's Note: Hey readers! You bunch are quite strange, (no offence) I was looking through the amount of views for this fanfiction. Around 9-13 are about a little over 100 views when suddenly I spot that Chapter 11 has 180! Did a bunch of you get impatient? Haha, just kidding. I guess it makes sense because it's the end of Episode 1 of The Walking Dead. I appreciate the amount of views and reviews/follows/favourites I get! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the others! (And Chapter 11 as well, hehe.)**

Katjaa turned, still disappointed that even though she had tried her best, the amputated man had still died. She looked over to Ben who sat by the lawn chairs, knees to his chest, "What about the other kid?"

Lee paused, _Yeah, what were they going to do with Ben?_ He was about to voice his opinion on the matter when out of the blue, there was a piercing snarl and a pair of pale claw-like hands reached up towards Katjaa from behind.

"Shit! Katjaa!" Lee swore, trying to force the previously alive man away from her.

_Why the hell did he come back?! _Lee thought, _I don't remember him getting bit…_

The highly increased decomposition rate of these things always got him, it had only been a few minutes since he had passed away if Katjaa had immediately told him and Kenny when the man was lost. Even so, the man had already begun to look extremely pale and sick in the face. His eyes were white as if they had either lost their irises in conversion or their eyes had rolled towards the back of their heads.

He managed to shove it off of her, before turning towards Mark and Larry, "The Axe! Hurry!"

Suddenly Lee yelped as the walker changed its target to him. He managed to strategically place his hands on the walker's shoulders, keeping it a large but still dangerous distance from him. The distance between the hungry walker and Lee became uncomfortably closer and closer. Lee rammed the walker's head into the side of the truck, leaving a large stain. He kept repeating the action, hoping to kill it but to no avail.

Suddenly, Lee turned to the side and saw Mark rush in with the axe, "MOVE! MOVE!"

Lee quickly used his strength and shoved the walker against the back of the truck cab.

Mark swung but had timed it horribly, missing it breaking the glass, "SHIT! It's stuck!" He frantically began to pry it from its lodged position.

The walker took no notice of Mark and resumed its attack on Lee, inching its way closer. Lee reflexively braced his foot against the chest of the thing, keeping it away from him. He kicked it, but the walker fell back going for his foot instead. Lee grunted and repeatedly kicked it until it once again collided with the back of the truck.

Mark continued to pry the weapon out and the monster continued its pursuit. Even missing a limb, the beast was still dangerous. Lee quickly backed up, until he didn't feel metal underneath him and fell back onto the hard concrete of the parking lot, landing on his side. He turned to face back up again and just in time, because the walker had mimicked his movements and fell on top of Lee. Lee's hands held the walker's head away from him. His thumbs thrust and squished through its dead, white eyes, leaving a wet substance that wasn't white, but dark red.

Mark had finally managed to retrieve the fireaxe and wasted no time, heading over to Lee, "Push it off! I don't want to hit you!"

Lee shoved it to the side, before Mark's axe fell down upon the creature's skull, effectively stopping the monster in its tracks. Lee groaned and shoved it off of him to the side, where it lay limply. Both Mark and Lee caught their breaths, "Thanks."

"No problem. We gotta watch each others' backs, right?"

During that sentence, Larry had stalked up towards the pair, his eyes bulging with anger, "Why'd ya bring him here in the first place, asshole?!"

Lee ran up to him, trying to intervene, "Dad, calm down!"

He paid no notice to her, "You're gonna get us ALL killed!"

Kenny remembered Ben, stomping up to him, "Why didn't you tell us he was bitten?!"

"What?!"

"He was bitten and you didn't say a goddamn word!"

"But he wasn't bitten! I swear!"

"Well your "not-bitten" friend here came back to life and tried to kill my wife!" Kenny steamed.

"What?! Wait, y'all don't know?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" The whole group's attention turned to Ben, the spotlight now on him.

"It's not the bite that does it! "

There was silence in response, either for him to continue or they were in shock.

"You come back no matter how you die." Ben continued, "If you don't destroy the brain, that's just what happens. It's gonna happen to ALL of us."

Lee thought out loud, "You're lying."

"It's true! I swear it!"

Katjaa agreed with the idea, "Maybe he's right. I didn't see any bites. It would explain why there's so many of em."

Kenny expressed, worry creasing his brow, "Jesus Christ. If you just, DIE and that's all it takes, then shit, one fatal car wreck and a family of five turns into a family of walkers."

Ben continued his story, "When I first saw it happen, we were all hiding out in a gym and everybody thought we were finally safe. But one of the girls, Jenny Pitcher I think, I guess she couldn't take it. She took some pills. A lot of them. Someone went into the girls' room the next morning and...God…"

Suddenly, Carley yelled, bursting the tensed mood of the group, and surprising everyone, "Back off!" She warned, aiming her gun at two young men. The two men's eyes had large bags underneath them, suggesting that they were exhausted and needing of some good night sleep. The closest one had 9'oclock shadow. His jetblack hair was combed back neatly. Like his hair, but not as dark, he wore a black shirt that had dark grey stripes circling his waist. The other man also had black hair, except his hair was messy. His complexion seemed somewhat sickly and yellow unlike his companion. He wore a short sleeved blue collar shirt and brown slacks.

The two men raised their hands defensively and explained, "Woah, lady, relax!" Me and my brother, we… we just want to know if ya'll can help us out."

Carley didn't budge, "I said back off!"

Lilly went up to her and mumbled, "…Carley…"

Lee spoke up, "You're outnumbered here, just turn around and go back."

The young man carrying the gas can raised it, "Okay that's fine. But you'd really be helping out a fellow survivor if you could part with some extra gas before we leave…"

Carley questioned loudly, "Why do you need gas?"

The gas can man's brother answered her question, "Our place is protected by an electric fence. Generators provide the electricity…" Larry seemed impressed by the idea, his face perking up and looking at the reactions of the others.

The other man continued, "Our generators run on gas. Look, we own a dairy farm a few miles up the road. If ya'll be willing to lower your guns, we can talk about some kind of trade."

The brother indirectly suggested, worry slightly in his tone, "How are ya'll doing on food? We got plenty at the dairy."

The group's eyes widened and looked around at eachother at the word, "food". The empty and dead feeling each and every one of the survivors in their group all felt in their stomachs suddenly felt even stronger.

Lilly was hungry but she at least had enough judgement left in her to not be galloping towards the supposed dairy, "Lee, why don't you and Mark check the place out, see if it's legit."

Carley pocketed her weapon, "I'm going with you. I got your back if anything seems fishy."

The pair outside the motor inn's barricaded walls asked, "So what are ya'll thinking?"

Everybody glanced at eachother, should they go to the dairy? Or was that just the hunger trying to persuade them? Lee narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the pair, deciding to vote against going to the dairy, "I think we'll stay here. We're staying to develop a good vibe here at the motel." Everyone else squinted at him, disbelief evident in their eyes.

Larry scoffed, "Good VIBE? Well, Christ day-o, I'm sorry the folk with a food supply and DEFENSES didn't tickle your pretty pink ass."

Mark said to Lee, "We need to think like a GROUP, Lee. This affects everyone."

Lilly concluded it, "Then we vote. If everyone agrees then we'll send you guys with some gas to check the place out."

Kenny spoke up, also suspicious of the pair's dairy farm, "And if we don't?"

"Then we'll stay in this wretched roach motel with your recreational paper-weight over there. Plus we stay close to Macon where we have access to the pharmacy, for Dad." Lilly replied, smirking, having won the argument, "Kenny, Katjaa?"

Kenny looked at his beloved wife before replying, "We go."

"Dad?"

"You betcha, punkin."

"Carley?"

"I say we go."

Mark voted to go, without having Lilly to ask him, "I'm in. IF they are offering food, we gotta at least check it out."

Lee walked over to Clementine, who nervously looked down, "Clementine, what do you think?"

"Lee…I'm very hungry." She answered quietly, afraid that she would be considered selfish and greedy.

Lee couldn't just let Clementine sit around the motel and starve to death. During the three months spent with Clementine, he was beginning to imagine her as his own child. Her choice was his choice.

"All right. Looks like we're going to a dairy." Lee voted, before helping the rest of the group to gather gas cans for the trade.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

**AN: Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you guys are going to have a nice and fun holiday today. What's your favourite Christmas song if any? Mine is…Winter Wonderland! Here's a few chapters.**

"So, this dairy… you guys really have food?" Mark wondered curiously.

The two brothers, who introduced themselves as Andy and Danny, guided Ben, Mark, Lee, and Carley through an open pathway that zigzagged through the vibrant forest. The season was autumn right now, from the looks of the colorful leaves on the thick branches of the trees. There was a nice breeze in the air, the atmosphere seemed to relax the group, before they remembered to keep their guard up.

"Sure do. We've lost most of the cattle, but we still have lots of milk, butter and cheese stocked up." Andy replied.

Danny continued, "And with the vegetables we grow, we've got plenty of food."

They continued talking about the dairy and its claimed food supply while Lee and Carley trailed behind a safe distance. Carley began, "It's nice to get away from that motel for a while. This Lilly/Kenny thing is starting to get ridiculous. Personally I'd be happier if you started to take charge more."

"You think they'd want me for a leader?"

"Sure. Everybody looks up to you." She reassured, her eyes beaming.

"Well… not everyone thinks I'm so trustworthy."

"Because of your past?" She inquired, her tone becoming more serious, "Does anyone else know?"

"Larry knows."

"Great, that can't be easy."

"Clementine…might know. She was there when we were talking in the drugstore and asked me about it. I lied to her, but…" Lee continued, his voice trailing off at the end.

"What exactly DID happen with the senator?"

"You know what happened…"

"I only know what the press was told. I don't know your story."

"Sometimes I wonder if I should talk to the group about it…"

"You don't have to. Whatever happened before things went to hell doesn't matter anymore."

"Not sure everyone would see it that way."

"Maybe you're right. Listen, over the years I've reported on some pretty messed up shit. I've seen situations like yours a hundred times; it doesn't have to make you a bad man…"

"I really appreciate that."

The conversation between the two ended but the larger group ahead's dragged on; Mark was in the middle of his story, "…I mean, thank God Lee showed up when he did! Right Lee?"

Andy peeked over his shoulder and slowed his pace, matching it with Lee's, "Yeah, why don't you tell us a little more about yourself, Lee?"

His brother also slowed down and both of them were on each of Lee's sides, "Where are ya from?"

"I grew up in Macon." Lee replied.

"Right in the Heart of Georgia, that's what I like to hear!" Andy smiled, taking note, "Y'all seem pretty settled in at that motor inn. Who's running things over there?"

"I am. If you guys have any questions, you come to me."

Carley smiled, happy that Lee was beginning to take charge.

Danny questioned, "How many people ya got over there anyway?"

Lee answered, deciding not to give a specific number, "Enough to defend ourselves."

"Well that's good! It's getting dangerous out there, well, you guys know." Andy commented, "Well, we'd love to get ya all out to the dairy. Like I said, we've got plenty of food, and quite frankly, we could always use an extra helping hand."

Ben, overhearing the statement, peered behind him, "In the summers, I used to help out on a goat farm."

"Yeah, that's great. Everything helps!" Danny nodded.

"Momma's been running the dairy for as long as I can remember but now it's gettin-" Andy began, before being suddenly cut off by a booming and angry voice, "You think you're gonna cut me out of this?!"

Andy ordered with a whisper, "Shit! Get down!"

The group stealthily crept over to the source of the noise, there were two men bickering. These fellows would've been considered normal on first glance, if it weren't for the intimidating black ski-masks they wore. "No one is trying to cut you out of anything!"

The two men continued to argue with eachother. Danny cursed, "Fuckin' bandits."

"Who?"

Ben whispered, "Those look like the people who raided my camp."

Lee turned to Andy, "Who are they?"

"Shh. Fucking assholes is who they are."

Carley examined the scene, "There's only two of them."

Danny disagreed, "Oh no, there's a lot more…"

The two bandits seemed to be angrily disputing about food. It wasn't hard to hear them from their loud and furious voices. The argument began to increase.

"…Yeah, and you know what, we ate it all! What are you gonna fucking do about it?"

Andy reassured the hiding group, "Don't worry. Danny and I have ya covered if something happens, but let's just wait this out and hope they move on."

All of a sudden, one of the bandits burst and raised his leg up to his chest and struck the other one. "FUCK YOU!" Then, he aimed his weapon and shot the man in the head. Ben gasped. The wounded bandit fell to the ground limply, obviously dead. But that wasn't enough for the other one; he stomped over to the corpse and began to repeatedly shoot the man's already dead body, "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!"

Then the bandit seemed to be satisfied and began to walk away, only to peer over his shoulder, "Asshole."

The group couldn't believe their eyes. Carley expressed, "Jesus…"

Andy shook his head remorsefully, "The world out here has gone to shit. Come on, let's get to the dairy where it's safe."

The group heeded his suggestion and they began to follow him away. Lee stood there for a moment, glancing at the dead man who wouldn't become a walker. Then, he turned to catch up with his comrades.

They continued along the long and winding pathway through the forest. The remainder of the trip was mostly silent, except for a few mumbles and fumbles. It wasn't too long before they reached the boundaries of the dairy.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**AN: Hey all you readers. This is one of the chapters of your present. And no, I'm not a dairy farmer heheh. Andy's real name is Andrew but I'll call him Andy for short. I might call him Andrew sometimes however. Enjoy! Hohoho. Merry Christmas.**

"Here it is. St. John's family dairy." Andy expressed with the pride of a parent showing off an extremely gifted child.

The dairy seemed quite cosy for a post-apocalypse world. It was nice and open, with plenty of crops and scenery. The group walked past a large hand-crafted sign, it was white and shaped like a shield that had been stretched horizontally. In big, green letters it read, ST. JOHN DAIRY. Underneath this title was a picture of a cow and three stars. There were also white letters underneath the shield that displayed a phone number, 555-0199, and the words, DAILY FARM TOURS.

Andy gestured towards the electric fence that surrounded the perimeter of the farm, "Ya'll can see how we've kept this place so safe."

Mark questioned, "The fence keeps them out?"

"You betcha. They fry like bugs in a zapper. We're pushing 4000 volts through that thing, with generators and amps."

"I'm going to assume that's a lot…"Carley said, not one at all for technical things.

The fence didn't seem too complex. It was wooden beams every meter or so and in between them was thin and long metal wires.

Lee commented positively, "This is a really brilliant set up."

Andy replied, with a smile on his face, "Suits us just fine."

Carley also gave her opinion, "This place looks untouched! You'd never know the rest of the world is in ruins."

"It's worth protecting, hence all the juice."

A woman with bright, vibrant, short, red hair joined the party, "I thought I saw ya'll with company comin' down the drive!" In her hands, she lightly swung a basket from side to side.

Andy introduced the group to the new woman, "Guys, this is our mama."

"I'm Brenda St. John and welcome to the St. John Dairy!"

Brenda was roughly around the same body size as Katjaa. There was a large resemblance in the expressions of the St. Johns. They all had dark bags underneath their eyes and on all their faces were an uncanny and big smile. She wore a purple plaid shirt with a white collar and her sleeves were slightly rolled up.

"This here's Lee. He's from Macon." Andy explained with a chuckle.

"A couple of our old farm hands were from Macon. They grow 'em good there."

Danny spoke to his mother, "They've got a few more friends staying at the old motel."

"Oh my goodness, that place is pretty vulnerable. Have you got someone with survival experience to lead your group?"  
Lee reassured her, "I've got things under control over there."

"Well, I hope you know what you're doing. That place isn't safe like it is here. Now that y'all are here, we'll make sure you're safe and comfortable." She replied with a friendly grin.

Lee mumbled, "We're awful hungry."

Brenda gestured to her basket and offered it to the hungry group, "These are for ya'll. Baked fresh this morning." Inside the basket were a huge amount of bread that looked tasty to the eye. It was strange how Brenda seemed to know that their group would be coming but the sight of delicious food to eat clouded their judgement.

"Amazing!" Carley expressed, obvious hunger in her eyes.

Danny chuckled, "Can't get stuff like that anymore, not without a cow for milk and butter, that's for sure."

Brenda agreed, "That's right. Hopefully Maybelle will make it through this bout of whatever she's got and be with us for a good-long while."

Lee wondered worriedly, "Your cow is sick? What's she—"

Mark cut him off, jumping forward and appearing out of nowhere, "We have a vet! We could bring her here! We can help you folks out."

"A vet! Oh, my! Our prayers have been answered!" Brenda exclaimed, her eyes perking up.

"Maybe our whole GROUP could come…for the day…"

"Well how about this, ya'll go get your veterinary friend, and I prepare some dinner. A big feast for all you hungry souls." Brenda suggested, "It'll be nice to have some folks to help out around here again. Danny, why don't you come help me out in the kitchen."

Danny nodded silently and slumped off with Brenda towards the large and beautiful white farmhouse. It seemed even bigger than Hershel's farmhouse.

Carley suggested, "Why don't I head back with the food and round up everyone for the trip back here."

"You might wanna take someone with you. Remember, those roads can be dangerous."

"I can handle myself."

Mark handed her his rifle, "Take this. Why don't you go ahead and take Ben along anyway."

Carley nodded, before turning to Lee, "Take care of yourself, Lee. See ya in a while."

Carley and Ben began to stride back down the winding path once more and back to the motor inn where everyone was waiting for their return. Soon enough, they could no longer be seen, disappearing into the maze of a forest.

"Mark, Lee, why don't ya take a look around. Once ya get settled in, I could use some hep securin' the perimeter."

"Is there a problem?" Lee wondered.

"Sometimes, the dead get tangled up in the fence before they fry and end up knocking over a post. It'd be a big help if you two could walk the perimeter. You can learn a lil somethin' about our fence. I'm gonna go top off the generators before they run dry. Come get me when you're ready."

"You betcha." Mark replied a little too late, "This place is INCREDIBLE! It's got food! And that fence…oh man that fence! If we play our cards right, this might turn out to be a place we can stay. So how do you want to play this?"

"Before we can think about bringing our whole group here to stay, we need to figure out if this place is as safe as they're telling us."

"Right. Obviously THEY think it's safe, but is it safe enough for the kids? I noticed a broken swing oer there." Mark gestured towards a small wooden swing that the seat was split in half, "Not a big deal, but maybe there's other things not working that we just can't see yet."

"And checking the fence perimeter sounds like a decent way to get a good look at their defences."

"All right, I'll keep my eyes open and you find out what you can from Andy."

Lee pushed open the metal gate, letting him and Mark through. Mark began examining the electric fence that was supposedly keeping the dairy farmers alive. Lee made his way over to Andy who was bent low over, intently working on a bright yellow and orange generator. When Lee reached his destination, Andy noticed him and got to his feet, "Hi."

"Hi…"

Andy grinned, "Well I'm glad you guys decided to help us out. I noticed back at the motel that you folks are pretty well armed. You been stockpiling, huh?"

"We've scraped together a good supply in the last few months. How about yourselves? What kind of protection do you have around here?"

"We've collected a few guns to protect ourselves, but we really only use em' when we go off the property. When we're inside the perimeter, the fence is all we need to keep us safe."

"An electric fence is enough to keep out walkers?"

"Walkers? Is that what you call them? That's good. The old one wouldn't have, but Mac – he was our foreman – he figured out how to amp it up with the generators. We used to sit out here some nights and watch the sons o' bitches sizzle and pop when they got too close. Closet thing to entertainment these days, I guess." He smirked.

"These generators are enough to power the whole dairy?"

"We got lots. And we gotta keep trading for fuel as much as we can. But they all work together to do the trick. Like us." Andy explained.

"We can't be the first people you've invited up to the dairy."

"Well, no. We've made similar deals with other folks, trading for gas and food, but ultimately they moved on, looking for the people they lost contact with."

"Mark and I can help you with that perimeter now." As if on cue, Mark appeared by Lee's side.

"Oh, good. The fence stops a walker in about three or four seconds, but gets overloaded if we leave the husks out there."

"You know, Mark and I can clear the fence ourselves if you want to stay here and finish up with the generators."

"Well, that'd be great! I'll turn off the northwest section, and if you guys could strip 'em off and look for any weak points, that'd be a big help."

"Sounds easy enough."

"Stay attentive, ya never know." Andy warned, squinting his eyes as Lee and Mark nodded in agreement and began to head over to the designated area.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**Andy's Note: Hey folks! Happy New Years! What are your guys' resolutions for year? My support is with you guys. Mine are probably…**

**1. ****Get better at Japanese. (Japanese is one of my favourite languages, I'm at basic conversation right now.)**

**2. ****Write more chapters for The Walking Dead**

**3. ****Write more fanfiction**

**4. ****Become more fit. (Yes, one of the most dreaded and stereotypical ones.)**

** As always, I love the reviews/favourites/follows, so take the time to do so! I appreciate the support and advice you readers give me. Like all the other chapters before, (and the ones to come in the future) enjoy the read! The bolded words, (No, not these ones haha.) are supposed to represent the bandits' dialogue.**

The duo strolled past the wooden gates and down the clear pathway towards the designated area of work. They made small chat, talking about the motel, the farm, and whatnot. The farm was quite large, extending its reach over the vast and broad field of plentiful corn and tall grass.

"So how's the place looking?" Mark began, "Is it safe enough for us to stay…if we can?"

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing what they've done with this day. But let's see what it takes to secure this fence before drawing any conclusions."

"I can't wait until everyone's out here. Everyone besides Larry…" Mark shook his head.

Lee remembered the morning's incident the moment Mark mentioned Larry's name, "Why the hell did you have to tell him I thought he's a racist? As if tensions weren't high enough!"

Mark flinched, diverting his gaze to the ground quickly, "Sorry man! It just…popped out!"

"I try to be civil, at least." Lee muttered angrily.

"He's too busy being cranky to notice."

They dropped the subject when they spotted one of the _husks_ that Andy was talking about. The corpse was collapsed limply on top of the fence's wire, dragging it down slightly under its heavy weight. There was a strange and long arrow that stuck out of its neck. A pitch-black crow balanced on its shoulder, nonchalantly pecking into its rotten and ash-burnt skin. It flew off to a certain direction when it noticed the twos' presence.

"There's one. Eeugh." Mark voiced, implying the obvious.

Lee stopped in front of it, squinting at the dead thing. He kicked it lightly with his foot, just in case.

"Lee, it's dead." Mark sighed.

"Come on, let's push it off."

Lee noticed a lightbulb protruding from some of the wooden posts, Mark saw him staring at it and commented, "And said, when this fence is working, the walkers go up like a tree branch on a power line. If those lights are out that means the fence is off, right?"

"It'd better be."

Lee returned his attention to the dead walker, he took his axe and pushed the thing, but it wouldn't budge a bit. "Looks like he's stuck."

He remembered the arrow stuck into the walker's dead flesh, making a disgusted face before grasping the arrow's shaft. He tore the thing out, "Disgusting."

Lee once again attempted to slide the husk off the electrical wire, this time it succeeded and fell to the ground with a thump. "Come on, I'm sure there's still a few more."

The pair continued their talk, Mark started, "Once this fence is patched up, this place'll be a fortress! God, can you imagine not having to worry about the walkers anymore?

"It's useless without gas. We might need food, but the St. Johns need gas too."

"Not many drivers these days, Lee. We could scrounge up a year's worth of gas, easy." Mark pointed out, noticing Lee's ambivalence, "So what's your take on the brothers? They seem to have this place tied down pretty well."

"We've got enough people to take this place by force, if we have to."

"Sheesh, Lee. You sound like Kenny." Mark replied, a slight smile touching his features.

"There's another one." Lee gestured with his eyes.

"I see it."

This walker hung off the fence from the outside, its head dipping low towards the ground. Without its arms supporting the corpse, it would've surely knocked over the fence itself. Lee bent low and pushed the walker off of its leaning position. Lee knew that if the farm were to become a permanent shelter, this would become a routine. It fell back, but there was no _thump_ because it still hung off the wire by the tips of its hands, its posture looked like a triangle. Lee grunted and swung the axe, being careful not to chop the wire. He cut through its wrist, causing the walker to go into an awkward position. Cutting through the other wrist, it hit the ground.

"Ya never get used to the smell, do you?" Mark muttered, his nose scrunching up in distaste.

"Nope." Lee replied with a chuckle, popping his "p" sound.

They turned and continued their way along the fence's perimeter.

"Christ, I can't stop thinking about dinner." Mark expressed, a hungry look on his face, "Thanks for the rations earlier. It's not easy eating in front of the kids, but it's all that's keeping me on my feet right now."

"I'm hungry too, Mark."

"Do you think they're gonna be good for it? Dinner for a whole group of people?"

"If they've got as much food as they say, I think so."

They resumed their walk, until Mark suddenly spoke up, "Come on, I think I see where they're getting in. This one must've knocked it over trying to get through. He's tangled up in there pretty good. Come on; help me get this thing back in place so we can get Mr. Crispy off of there."

Mark was right about his observations, the fence had been toppled over, knocking it _outwards. _In the midst of the chaos of wires, there was a walker ensnared.

"I think we'd get better leverage from the other side." Lee suggested.

"Good idea." Mark agreed, before leaping right over the heap of electrical wires. He regained his composure and positioned himself under the wooden fence post to the left.

Lee glanced at the zombie's corpse, thinking, before Mark interrupted his thoughts, "If you're waiting for that guy to help, it ain't gonna happen. Come on."

Lee sighed. Unlike Mark, Lee took his time and carefully placed his foot inside each of the gaps between the wires before making it over. He placed himself at the opposite fence post. They worked as a team, slowly heaving the fence off its side and straight back up. Mark grinned.

All of a sudden, sparks shot out of the walker's body as the fence lampbulbs blinked on with a electrical _ssssssss_. "Holy fuck! What just happened?!" Mark exclaimed, flinching away just in time from the fence.

Realization hit Lee like a frisbee to the fence, "The fences are on!"

"Why the hell would he turn the fence on! He knows we're out here!" Mark questioned with disbelief.

Lee was about to answer when out of the blue, a large arrow identical to the previous one shot forward from the woods and pierced Mark's shoulder. "AGHHH!" He clutched his bleeding limb."

There was an angry, booming voice that echoed from the forest, **"I told you what would happen, you son of a bitch!"**

"What the-?"

Lee duck down, looking around his surroundings for what to do. Arrows were flying through the air, nearly missing the pair. "Get to the gate!" he ordered.

They turned to run but were blocked off when arrows hit the ground in front of them, expectant of their plan. With no other choice, Lee ordered Mark to follow him to the rusty tractor in front of them, "Get down!"

**"You assholes!"** The voice barked as arrows continued to soar through the air.

"JESUS!" Mark yelped.

They made it safely behind the tractor, taking refuge from the flying projectiles. Lee peeked up from the top of the tractor, noticed many black silhouettes running about in the forest. He ducked just in time from a wooden missile-like arrow.

**"We had an agreement! Now you're fucked!"**

"Who the fuck is that?!" Mark grunted in pain.

"No idea!"

"Fuck! Now what?!"

"With the fence on, that gate is our only way out!"

**"Can't hide forever!"**

"We don't know you!" Lee called. As if it would make any difference.

He hid behind the tractor again, deciding to look to the right of the tractor.

** "Behind the tractor!"**

To the right of the tractor were thick, red plows that dug deeply into the dark soil. Lee pulled lever which controlled the plows, freeing them from their earthy prison.

**"I see ya!" **A bandit yelled, before firing an arrow that bounced off the plows, nearly hitting Lee. He flinched away and ducked back behind their make-shift shelter. He looked over to the left of the tractor, noticing a metal chock preventing the movement of the mobile.

** "I can do this ALL day!"**

Careful to not waste any time, Lee lunged forward and removed the metal wedge from the tractor's pathway. Slowly but surely, the tractor began to move down the slightly downhill ground.

"C'mon, if we can reach the gate, we can get through this fence and back to the house."

"Aghh! Shit, that hurts!" Mark winced, suffering from his inflicted shoulder. The two of them slowly kept in time with the tractor's pace. Arrows still continued to strike the tractor and repel off of it.

**"They're on the move!"**

** "It an't right, we had a deal! Give us the food!"**

** "Where's our food you assholes?!"**

** "Did you really think you could fuck with us?!"**

Suddenly, the tractor decided to make a chock out of a walker's corpse that had happened to be laying there. "What happened?" Mark questioned.

"Shit. It's one of the dead we pushed down earlier. I'm gonna have to move it."

Lee carefully duckwalked towards the corpse, keeping his head up high and his eyes peeled. "Eeenngh…" he grunted, pulling the thing towards him and swinging it far off the course of the tractor. With the obstacle out of the way, the tractor continued to move. The voices in the forest became more agitated and irritated as they got closer to the gate. Then, the tractor's wheel collided with another of the walkers. "Another one? How many of those things did we push down?!" Mark wondered exasperatedly.

Lee repeated his actions, getting a good grip on the walker's hand. All of a sudden, the walker's other hand thrust towards Lee, grabbing a hold of his wrist, growling. "Shit!" The walker pulled Lee's hands in too close for comfort. His eyes were wide with fear and shock, struggling to break free of the zombie's hold. Lee kicked it in the face twice, before the walker once again brought Lee's wrists closer. He fought back, resisting the strength of it. All of a sudden, there was a sickeningly rip and crunch as Lee ripped the walker's torso from its legs, leaving a dark blood trail. It seemed to not even notice or be affected by the loss of its lower body, choosing food over limbs. It seemed strange to call it a walker now that it had no legs, so he settled for crawler. Now that half of the crawler's weight had been subtracted, Lee was able to easily fling the abomination away from him. But not that far away from him. It landed on the ground with a disgusting _splat_.

"You okay?" Mark gasped.

"Yeah…barely."

"Come on, the gate's right there!"

Lee could still hear the growls and snarls from the gaining monster, clawing its way towards him with blood-dirtied hands. Then, a sharp projectile soared through the air, piercing it through the brain and out its eye, killing it. Lee breathed a sigh of relief when he could no longer sense his undead pursuer. The tractor collided with a large metal wall, creating a loud noise.

**"They're gettin' away!"**

"Let's get outta here." Lee instructed, now that they were safely at the fence's gate. He jumped forward and kicked the gate doors, flinging them wide open. Mark limped as fast as he could, still clutching his shoulder. **"You lucky sons of bitches! Go ahead and run! We ain't goin' nowhere!" **They ran, arrows landing not too far behind them.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**Andy's Note: Hey everyone! Today is the 4****th**** of January! That means, I turn a year older. Here's another chapter for you guys, continuing right after Mark and Lee barely escape from the flying arrows from the bandits. As always, I love the reviews/favourites/follows from you readers! Enjoy the chapter guys and I hope you have a good day.**

"Let's get outta here." Lee instructed, now that they were safely at the fence's gate. He jumped forward and kicked the gate doors, flinging them wide open. Mark limped as fast as he could, still clutching his shoulder. **"You lucky sons of bitches! Go ahead and run! We ain't goin' nowhere!" **They ran, arrows landing not too far behind them.

* * *

Back at the main area of the dairy, it was quite calm and peaceful. It all changed when Mark and Lee came rushing in. Lee ran ahead, while Mark dragged his feet as fast as he could behind. Andrew noticed the commotion, squinting his eyes, trying to get a better look. His eyes widened when he saw that the duo was not so well and he dashed to their sides.

Lee pushed open the small wooden gate in a hurry, leading the way for Mark. Realizing that they had made it to safe territory, they bent over and caught their breaths, tired from all the running.

"Lee, what's wrong?" Andy gasped, his mouth agape. Danny could be seen observing from the farmhouse's porch.

"The electric fence came on! Some people started attacking from the woods and we got trapped between them and the fence!"

Danny ran over from the house, staring at Mark's wound, "Holy shit! Are you okay?"

Andy quickly tried to explain the fence turning on, "I… I heard Mark yell and thought y'all were giving me the all clear! Man, I am real sorry."

Brenda cried, also leaving the house and noticing the group's shape, "Oh, my Lord! What happened to you, sweetheart!?"

Mark was bending over and breathing deeply and slowly, still in great pain and shock from the arrow stuck in his arm.

Andy turned to his mother, "It was those bastards in the woods, Mama…"

Mark reassured in a weak voice, "Yeah… I'll be all right once it's out, but, goddamn it hurts!"

At that moment, the rest of the motel inn survivor group, minus Ben and Carley, strolled in, joining the scene. "Hey y'all!" Kenny waved. They seemed to not yet notice Mark's injury.

As they got closer, they stood in horror, Katjaa exclaimed, "Mark! Oh my god, what happened?!"

Lee explained worriedly, "He got shot with an arrow."

"Christ! Are you gonna be okay?" Lilly cried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I should just… pull it out…" Mark whimpered.

Brenda stepped forward towards Mark, "Oh no, honey, c'mon, Brenda's got you. C'mon inside now. We'll have you all sorted out."

Katjaa and Brenda guided Mark slowly towards the farmhouse. Brenda took notice of Katjaa, "Well, you must be the veterinarian."

Larry snarled at Lee, "What kind of shit is this?"

"We ran into some people on the way up here… bandits I guess. I think it was them that attacked us."

Andy spoke up, trying not to make eye contact, "They gave us a lot of problems in the beginning, killed a bunch of our farmhands. We were able to get 'em to stop by makin' a deal."

Kenny frowned, "You KNEW about these people?"

Danny covered for his brother, "Food for protection. Not like we had much of a choice, but they did stop hasslin' us."

Lilly voiced, "Christ, maybe you were right about this place, Lee."

Lee turned to Andrew and Danny, his brow furrowing, "So much for your "deal"."

Andy's expression mirrored Lee's, "Those shitheads broke the agreement! I'm sorry, Lee. IF I had any inklin' they were gonna give you guys trouble, we woulda gone out there with you! Listen, we may have had an agreement with those people, but we will NOT stand for this shit."

Danny agreed, "Ain't no way we're gonna let those sons o' bitches get away with this!"

"You know where these assholes are?" Kenny questioned.

"They're hard to pin down, but I think I know where at least ONE of their camps are." Danny turned to Lee, "When you're ready to go scope out that bandit camp, come find us."

The two brothers turned to leave, while the motor inn group continued their conversation. Lilly spoke first, disbelief in her tone, "Bandits? Are you serious? This place isn't safe, we can't stay here."

Kenny retorted, "Not safe?! This place is a hell of a lot safe than that motor inn! I think all of us and our guns can handle a couple of punks with bows and arrows! What we need to do is find a way to get our whole group out here to stay. Take this place over if we have to."

"Woah, cool your jets there, Rambo. These are nice people. Let's not do anything to get us throw out before we eat!" Larry intercepted.

Lee spoke up, concluding what the group should do, "I'm gonna head out and help Dan deal with these bandits. You guys should try to make friend with Andy and Brenda while I'm gone."

Larry snorted, "Well that's easy. I've got charm coming outta my ass."

"Yeah, that's… real charming, dad."

Lee questioned, "Where's Ben and Carley?"

"Since Carley and Ben ate some of the food on the way back to get us, she volunteered to stay behind and watch the motor inn until we get back."

Andy and Danny were talking to eachother before turning to glance at the motor inn survivors. Andy stepped forward to rejoin the conversation, "Hey, I remembered seeing kids in your group, so I went ahead and fixed that swing while you were out. Hope you kids like swings!" Andy grinned, gesturing towards a comfy-looking swing by a tall tree.

Duck and Clementine smiled from ear to ear. Clementine replied happily, "A swing! I love swings! Just like at my treehouse! Come on, Duck!"

Kenny smiled, before leading the two children towards the wooden swing, "Why don't you kids go and play on the swing, huh?"

The corners of Lee's mouth perked up, "Thanks."

Andy accepted the gratitude, "Anytime. We're looking out for ya!" He turned to leave, leaving Lee to continue his exploration of the wide dairy farm. He decided to go check up on the kids who were happily taking turns on the swing that Andy had fixed. Duck was currently swinging with Kenny pushing him. Clementine watched silently with a grin on her face, her eyes following the swing's motion.

"Hey Clem, do you like the swing?"

"Yeah! It's fun!"

"Be sure to tell Andy "Thank you," okay?"

"I will! Will you push me on it?"

"Sure, happy to push you on the swing."

Lee stood, turning to Kenny, "Mind if Clementine takes a turn?"

Kenny stopped pushing, placing his hands by his hips, "All right, Duck, let's let Clementine have a try for a bit."

"…Okay." Duck relented disappointedly, doing a sort of kick-up off the seat of the swing and posing. Clementine and Lee replaced the previous pair's positions. Lee smiled and began to lightly push the swing, "How are you holding up Clementine?" The motion of pushing the swing seemed peaceful, it was something that had been in another life, one that was long gone.

"I'm okay I guess. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little worried about Mark."

"Is Mark going to be okay?"

"He got lucky out there. Could have been a lot worse."

"Are you going to find the people who hurt Mark?"

"We have to make sure they don't hurt anyone else."

"Be careful. I want you to stay lucky, too."

"Ever since I met you I've had good luck, so don't worry."

"Okay."

"What do you think of the dairy?"

"It's pretty. It reminds me of how things used to look before."

Lee smiled, "Yeah, it does."

"Do you think things will ever get back to how they were?"

Lee wanted to say that they would, that the world would go back to how it was, all happy and without walkers, but honestly, he just wasn't sure. There was a feeling at the back of his head telling him that this was how the world works now and that people just had to get used to it, "I'm not sure, Clem. I hope so."

"I hope so, too."

"Don't worry, we're safe here now." He reassured her with a slight smile.

"As long as the bad people don't get me too, right?"

"I won't let what happened to Mark happen to you."

"Promise?"

"I promise. All right, Clem, that's enough for now."

"Okay. Thanks for pushing me."

"Of course." Lee faced Kenny, "It's all yours!"

"Yeah!" Duck expressed, eager to swing.

Kenny shook his head, "Okay, Duck, don't pop a gasket."

Lee decided that it was time to go seek out those bandits, better to take care of them immediately then to wait for them to pick the survivors out one by one. He opened the white, pointy, picket fence gate and headed up the hill towards the two brothers who were quietly engaged in their own talk. As he got closer to the pair, they took notice of him and turned. Lee nodded in acknowledgement, "Fellas."

Andy returned the greeted, "How are ya feelin', Lee? Look, I'm really sorry you almost got killed out there. We should have told you how dangerous it was."

"No shit."

"You saw what they did to your buddy. Nobody's safe here until we start to fight back." Danny spoke, crossing his arms.

"How?"

"The two of us should go out and do some recon, then we'll all mount up for some revenge."

"Hell, yeah." Andy expressed with a revengeful grin.

Lee yelled, but tried to keep his voice down, "Who the fuck are these people in the woods?"

"We don't know. We think some of 'em used to work at the big box up the way."

Danny added on to Andy's explanation, "Save Lots."

"Yeah. Anyway, they're nutty as hell. And get mad when they're hungry."

Danny squinted, "So, are ya ready to head out there and find their camp?"

Lee decided that he was ready, "Yeah. It'll be a good opportunity to find out a bit more about what we're up against. Let's do it."

"I'll stay here and hold down the fort." Andy replied.

Danny instructed, "Remember: we're just doing reconnaissance for now. No use getting ourselves killed."

Lee agreed. The two retrieved their weapons and began to make their way off the dairy farm property. Clementine, who was waiting for her turn on the swing, noticed the pair and ran towards them, stopping them at their tracks, "Are you going now?"

"Yeah. I'll be back soon, Clementine."

"Please be lucky." She whispered worriedly.

"I will."

They continued to make their way out of the dairy farm perimeter, entering the thick brush of a forest.

* * *

The two stepped through the forest, occasionally stepping on a leaf and making an unneeded crackle. The forest was thick but there was still light that shone through the trees, lighting their way. Most of the tree leaves were somewhat greenish yellow; however, some of them were also turning a bright and nice red and yellow. They walked on a slightly cleared dirt path, surrounded by these fluorescent colors. "See anything?" Danny asked.

"Not yet." Lee replied, looking around and seeing nothing but the same dark bushes and slender trees. He could only hear the soft squishes in dirt from Danny and himself.

"I know it's around here. It's gotta be close."

They stopped a small fork in the path. Lee noticed something on the dirt path. He bent low to examine it. It was a colorful can of alphabet soup. He nudged it with the barrel of his gun, in which it gently rolled over. They were getting close; there was no need for words to explain this. Danny took the left path while Lee took the right. They stayed close however, strength in numbers.

"Here." Lee whispered, noticing something. Danny heard and went to his side.

"Oh shit! You found it?!"

They stumbled upon the camp. Lee did the well-known gesture to be quiet, and gestured forward. Danny and Lee crouched low, stealthily creeping up towards the bandits' camp. Lee inspected the area with the scope of his rifle, checking to see if the area was empty. He shook his head at Danny, there was nobody apparent. They snuck even closer. As they got closer, they quickly positioned themselves against separate trees. "You see anybody?" Danny asked.

Lee looked around the cluttered area, "Stay on your guard."

Danny agreed and starting heading towards the only tent in the camp, "Watch my back, Lee. I'm gonna check out the tent."

The tent's entrance flap was slightly ajar. The majority of it was bright red. The rest was white and grey. Danny took a few steps closer, holding his rifle up, ready to shoot if needed. He poked the barrel of his gun into the flopped open part of the entrance. Nothing happened. He carefully but quickly pulled open the flap more, revealing nothing but a couple of beds. One of the beds was flowery and pink while the other was white with a yellow blanket. "Clear."

Lee nodded. They both relaxed. Danny continued his observation, "This camp's too small. It can't be their main base."

"That's what I was thinking."

"Take a look around anyway. There's probably some shit around here they stole from us."

Lee began to look around. Now that there was nobody in the area at the moment, he could focus on the whole camp itself. There was a campfire with large rocks placed around it. Some tables were placed about, supporting many boxes that clearly read, "Save Lots". There were also some alphabet soup cans identical to the one that Lee had found at the fork in the road. Alongside with these cans were other sorts of bottles. At the campfire, there was a large, metal kettle that was hung from thin pieces of wood. He pulled off the lid, "Just water."

He went over to a table, and peered inside on the crates. "Nothing."

"Empty." He said, inspecting another box to the side of it. He pushed the box over to side, seeing if there was anything behind it. There was nothing. To the side of the flimsy table, was a green lawn chair, "Looks like they expected to be here a while." He went over to Danny, who was standing by the tent and peered inside the tent. Before looking inside, he glanced behind him just to make sure there wasn't anyone behind them. He hopped inside the tent and looked around. There was a stuffed bunny toy placed neatly next to the pink, flowery mattress. It would've been a nice gift to Clementine…if it didn't have a large and deep blood stain on it, "Aw, man." Lee sighed deeply, wondering what could've happened.

There was a slight bump covered by the yellow blanket of the second mattress. Carefully, Lee removed the object that was creating the bump. It was a hat. A very familiar hat. It had a big purple "D" on it. Lee's eyes went wide and he gasped as he realized that it was Clementine's hat, "…the hell?"

All of a sudden, there was a loud, threatening voice behind him, "Don't you fucking move!"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

**Andy's Note: How are you guys doing? My winter break is almost over so that sucks. I was hoping to post more chapters for you guys to enjoy. I also have another regret for this story. Since it's a novelization, it doesn't really use much of my creative writing skills to write a big chunk of the story. Mainly, it comes from describing characters and scenery, heh. Thank you to ****_EverlastingMemories_** **for noticing a mistake in Chapter 10 I had! If any of you readers also spot some errors or have some suggestions, feel free to express your opinion in the review section! As always, enjoy the story!**

There was a slight bump that protruded from under the yellow camp blanket. Carefully, Lee removed the object. It was a hat. A very familiar hat. It had a big purple "D" on it. Lee's eyes went wide and he gasped as he realized that it was Clementine's hat, "…the hell?"

All of a sudden, there was a loud, threatening voice behind him, "Don't you fucking move!"

"Shit!" Danny cursed, realizing the commotion that had started behind his back.

Lee turned around to face their enemy.

"PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN!" The woman said in a low and threateningly way. She looked very haggard and ragged. Her eyes were wary and deep in exhaustion; as if they had seen many things and that she didn't like most of what she saw. She wore a red vest that might have been bright red before and a pink t-shirt could be seen from underneath. Her hair was a wild brown bush that stuck out strangely. The most dangerous feature about her was the crossbow she brandished skillfully in her hands. Lee stood from his crouching position to face the woman.

"I ain't going back. You tell 'em Jolene ain't goin' back!" Jolene warned, swinging her crossbow from Danny to Lee.

"Hey! We had a deal! No shooting as long as we gave you food!" Danny yelled towards her, "What the fuck happened?"

"You had a deal with THEM. I ain't THEM." Jolene said, before turning to Danny once more, "I know you. I know what you are, I know what you do."

"You don't know me!" Danny defended himself.

"Steal my shit! Steal everything from me!"

Lee interrupted the tense words between them, "Who the fuck are you?"

She responded with a sharp and creepy cackle.

"Look. It's not safe up here in the woods. You gotta come back to the dairy." Lee tried to reason.

"Ha ha! Oh… It's a hell of a lot safer up here than down THERE, you best believe. Now maybe you didn't hear me last time… when I asked you sweet… put your damn guns down!" she threatened, "You think I won't kill you? I'm gonna take this here crossbow, and put a nice sharp arrow, right throuw your eyeball. And into your goddamn brain. You're not men… you're monsters. All men are monsters. Take what they want, and then destroy it all. Take a can of beans, take a little girl… it's all the fucking same to you!"

"Where did you get this hat?"

"The little girl."

"You STOLE it from her."

"So what if I did? You stole her from ME!"

Danny shifted his eyes to Lee, wondering if it was true. Lee responded with a slight shake of the head. They returned their eyes back to the more dangerous opponent.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know what? I changed my mind… I'm putting this arrow right through your BALLS. Yeah! Right through. String 'em up on that tree." She smiled, gesturing to the tree behind her, "Then I'm a head down to that farm, and shoot every goddamn person I see."

Lee had had enough, "Enough!" He prepared to shoot the woman.

She kept on ranting, "Y'all wave them guns like you're looking to die. Don't need to go lookin' for death. It's already found us. Just waitin' to get turned into monsters. Some of us already are!"

Lee didn't have the heart to shoot her, and she continued talking, "Go on, tell him, boy! Tell him what you got in mind for –" Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of white as a large bullet hole appeared on Jolene's forehead. Danny had shot her. She fell onto the ground where Lee could see on her back, read the words, "How may I assist you?"

Lee had his mouth wide open as he turned to Danny. A large pile of brains and blood began spreading on the ground beneath Jolene's dead body.

"God dammit." Danny said, lightly jamming the back of his rifle into the ground.

"You straight up murdered that woman!"

"Hardly, she had a crossbow pointed at my forehead!"

Lee looked over the corpse and sighed deeply.

It's a clean shot though… right through the forehead. That's good shootin' right here. " Danny continued with remorse, "Still, what a waste."

Lee thought numbly, _Thank you for shopping at Save Lots!_ He shook his head, "So that's it? We going back?"

"If they ain't here, I don't know where they are. And it ain't a good idea to go tromping through the woods looking for them. So, yeah, we head back." Danny concluded, before beginning to walk, "Once they see this… they'll get the message."

He stopped by Jolene's body, before looting her discarded crossbow. He examined the weapon's shape and smiled, "C'mon."

They started to make their way backwards through the woods back to the dairy farm. However, Lee was bit suspicious now because of the now dead woman's words. _It's a hell of a lot safer up here than down THERE, you best believe._

* * *

Danny and Lee made it back to the St. John's Dairy Farm. The sky was a dim color now, as they had taken up a lot of the day going through the woods. They stopped in front of the white picket fence because Danny turned towards Lee, "Man, that was a hell of a ride, huh?"

"Jesus, Danny." Lee muttered, before tossing him the rifle he had borrowed.

Danny caught it reflexively, "What? You ain't getting' soft on them, are ya? Not after what they did to your friend!"

Brenda noticed the pair and spoke up from the porch of the farmhouse, "You're back! What happened?"

"Handled it, mama." Danny replied before leaving Lee. Lee brushed past the picket gate and went towards Brenda who planted herself on the porch steps.

"This isn't what Terry would've wanted…" Brenda said remorsefully.

"Terry?"

"My husband. Miss him every day."

Then, there was a loud bickering that drew the attention of both of them from the far side of them; it was Lilly and Kenny again. Lilly was yelling, leaning closer as to try to intimidate, "Then screw it up for everybody then, why don't you?"

"Oh calm down, princess. I'll do it myself." Kenny retorted, before turning and walking away. Lilly had a look of disgust and disbelief on her face, before she returned to neutral. She also turned and walked away towards the gazebo where her dad sat.

Now that the argument was over, Lee turned back to Brenda, "What's going on with them?"

"Dunno. Squabblin', looks like. A lotta tension with ya'll, huh?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Don't mind them. It's how they are. Each of them want to be in charge, you know?"

"Well, it's probably just the hunger talkin'! We all get a little test. We'll fix that shortly!"

Lee shook his head, still thinking about the bandits.

She read his mind, "And Lee, don't worry your head about them bandits. I'm sorry you've seen more violence that I'da thought in your short time, but ya'll are safe here. Don't worry."

Lee frowned, "Think I'll go have a look around."

"Don't wander too far. Dinner will be ready before you know it." She smiled. Her expression looked a bit off though, "And thanks your friend Katjaa again for me. She and the kids are in the barn with the cow. That woman is a life saver!"

Lee nodded and turned to head down the sloping hill. He pushed his way back out of the fence door and noticed Clementine appear from inside the barn doors, peeking out at him. She smiled and waved, before closing the barn door. Lee remembered Clementine's cap and pulled it out from his pocket. He looked at it, thinking, before putting it back inside his pocket.

He began walking towards the barn, thinking it was better to give her the hat before he forgot to. He pushed open the wooden gates that separated the rest of the farm from the barn and hay. Lee headed over to the barn doors that Clementine had sealed and slid them back open with a loud creak. He hopped in.

* * *

From inside the barn, the outside looked darker. There wasn't much light inside the barn, it was dimly lit by a small light that perched up high. Katjaa faced Lee and smiled. The kids, Katjaa, and Andy were silently watching Katjaa care for the female cow named Maybelle that provided the large supply of food for the dairy farmers. There were many photos of the cow in the stall, alongside with some medals that the cow had earned. It seemed quite impressive.

Duck tilted his head to look at the cow. It lay on the thin patch of hay and every once in a while, it would move slightly and shake its ears, before nestling in again inside the hay. Clementine smiled in surprise. Katjaa noticed it, "It's okay, Clementine, you can pet her."

Clementine looked towards Lee, her eye asking for approval. Lee smiled, "It's okay, go ahead."

She hesitantly inched forward and placed her hand gently on the cow's head, rubbing it tenderly, "Woah… Katjaa says Maybelle could have her baby tonight!"

"We'll see, Clementine." Katjaa replied softly.

Lee's eyes were caught by a light brown and large block with a round indent on it and headed towards it, he bent low, "What's this thing?"

"Daddy says it's called a salt lick." Duck replied like it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Yeah, but don't lick it. It's gross." Clementine warned.

Lee stood and crossed his arms with a knowing grin, "Did you lick it?"

She stood, staring back with a blank look on her face, "I don't know…"

He went over to Clementine, "Here Clementine." He pulled out her purple-blue cap and handed it to her. It hung loosely on the tips of his fingers.

Clementine jumped in surprise and joy, "My hat! You found it!" She placed it on her head, "I knew you'd find it! You said you would!"

"Listen, did you… give your hat to anyone?"

"No."

"Did you see any strangers around the motor inn who might have taken it?"

"No. Why?"

"It's probably nothing. Just let me know if you ever see anything like that."

"Okay, I will. Hey, Lee. Do you think you'll ever have kids?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought about having kids in a long time…"

"Well, thanks for finding my hat." She thanked gratefully.

"You're welcome Clem."

"Do you want to pet the cow with me?"

"Nah, but you go on ahead."

Lee looked at Maybelle the cow, "She looks skinny." He then went over to Andy who sat on a small wooden stool, overlooking his family's last cow, "Hey there Andy."

"Yeah?"

"We met this woman up in the woods. She seemed to know your brother."

Andy chuckled nervously, "Yeah. He, uh, probably talks a little more than he oughta."

"Uh… when do you think, uh, we might eat?"

"Hungry, huh? Don't worry. Mama's cooking up some good grub." Overhearing this, Clementine and Duck perked up.

"How's the cow?"

"Well, better now e got Doc on the case."

Katjaa smiled and nodded back.

"Thanks." Lee replied.

"Yup."

Lee looked down at Duck who sat criss-crossed on the floor, "Have I missed anything?"

"No, not really." He made a funny face, "It smells funny in here."

"…Like manure!" Clementine added.

"What's "manure"?" Duck asked.

"Doo-dee!" She whispered. At this, they both began to laugh before being scolded by Katjaa, "Kids!"

They stopped their laughter and continued to look upon the pregnant cow. Lee grinned and shook his head. Thinking that there was nothing else to check in the barn, Lee exited the building.

* * *

Outside, it seemed much brighter than being inside the barn. He made sure to slide the barn door back into place. He spotted Larry speaking to Brenda who giggled like a little schoolgirl. Larry seemed to flirting with the farm woman, "So how does a woman like yourself run this whole place?"

"Oh I manage just fine. Plus I have my boys to help out. I couldn't do it without them."

Lee shook his head at this, deciding to not interrupt at the moment. He noticed a circular cage looking thing that encircled around a large pile of hay. There were several of these around the place, "Looks like a feeding station for the cow."

He noticed Lilly at the gazebo near the pile of hay and began to make his way towards her. The gazebo was a nice thing to look upon; it was brown and white and looked quite natural. It sat atop a large patio that was also these two colors. Lilly noticed Lee approaching and spoke up, "Hey! So, what happened at the camp? Did you find any more of those guys that hurt Mark?"

"We found a woman in the woods. She was talking all crazy and had a crossbow… so Danny killed her."

Her face became one of extreme disbelief and shock. "Holy shit. Was she one of those bandits?"

"I don't know. I think she was trying to tell me something, but then he just went off."

"I don't like this, Lee. I still say we should go back to the Motor Inn where we at least know what to expect."

"What were you and Kenny arguing about when I came back from the camp?"

"He's losing it, Lee. He comes over and starts talking about searching the barn and that these people are hiding something. The way I see it, we need to just skip the dinner and get our food to go. But I'm starting to think your friend over there has another agenda.

"How do you feel about leaving the motor inn?"

"I don't know. If we'd just stayed where we were, then Mark wouldn't have ended up with an arrow in his shoulder."

"It's been three months, and your dad still treats me like I'm some kind of asshole." Lee frowned.

"Yeah, well, don't expect that to change. That's just how he is."

"Does he treat you like that too?"

"Look. My dad can be an ass sometimes, I know that… But he's not a bad guy. He just… he's got a lot of pain. He's been through so much. And lost… pretty much everything. And it's hardened him, ya know? Yeah, he's bitter and hateful, but that's all just to protect himself. And me. All he's got left in the world is me. And that goes both ways. So, yeah, he's probably gonna keep treating you like crap, but that's just because he still has one thing left to care about. So don't judge him. And don't judge me fro sticking by him. He's my dad, and I love him."

Lee nodded in silent understanding, "Do you get the feeling something's going on here?"

"What makes you say that? What exactly happened at the camp?"

"It's…nothing. Don't worry about it. Paranoia's just getting' to me a little bit." He sighed, crossing his arms.

"I know what you mean. These backwoods people always give me the creeps. If you ask me, we should just get our dinner and leave."

"I'm going to go check things out."

"Just don't get too nosy. These kinds of people are usually pretty protective of their privacy."

Lee nodded in agreement and began to explore the farm area once more. He saw tons and tons of bales of hay. "Lots of hay. Enough of these might work as adequate cover from arrows if that becomes a problem."He continued exploring. Lee pushed past the gate to join the rest of farm, he walked alongside the sharp picket fences and at the end of them, he found Danny, who fiddling with his rifle, similar to how Kenny was fiddling with his pipe earlier in this day.

"Hello." Danny said, catching notice of Lee.

Lee looked worried of the way Danny was treating his rifle. Danny continued, "Glad I got to use her today."

Lee squinted in confusion. Danny explained, gesturing towards his rifle, "My girl, here."

"How do you run this place with just one cow?"

"Used to had move. They get hungry, too. Or sick. Got your doctor friend here now, though."

"You guys must trade for a LOT of fuel to keep the generators running, right?"

"People get hungry and a few loaves of bread fetch a high price. Ya'll are lucky you're on this side of the deal now."

"You guys are pretty out in the sticks, here."

"Hard to find." He said matter-of-factly

"You get many visitors?"

"Not anymore. Bandits, of course. Used to get these school kids on tours back before the dead time."

It was sort of distracting the way that Danny caressed the barrel of his rifle, Lee couldn't resist asking about it, "You really like that gun."

"What's not to like?" he expressed.

"Just kinda creepy, that's all." Lee shrugged.

"Times like these, a .243 will keep you warmer at night than any lady I ever known."

"I'm going to go wait for supper, then."

Danny smiled, "It'll be a good one."

Lee left Danny and his rifle and decided to go check up on another couple that was still flirting with eachother by the farmhouse. He pushed his way through the fence gate and headed up towards them. As he neared, they noticed him. "We'll, uh… We'll finish talking later." Larry muttered awkwardly, before stumbling back down the hill.

Lee turned to Brenda, "You been getting along with Larry?"

"He's just a big ol' sweetheart, ain't he?"

"Don't know if I would have used those words, exactly."

"Don't judge, honey. This world is bringin' out the worst in people. But if you really look, you'll catch a glimpse of humanity every now and then."

"How's Mark doing in there?"

"Best patient I ever had. My boys get so much as a scratch and start hollerin'. He could definitely teach them a thing or two about being tough."

"I'd still like to check on him."

"You're gonna have to trust me on this one, Lee. I've helped stitch my share of wounds…I know what I'm talking about."

"Uh, not to be rude, ma'am, how come you're out here instead of, you know…"

"Haha, you wanna know why I'm not slaving away in the kitchen, is that it?"

"No no, I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

"It's okay, darlin'. Got it slow cookin' in the oven. Should be ready before too long!"

"We ran into some trouble out there."

Brenda frowned, "I was just glad you two weren't hurt. Those bandits just don't know when to quit. But my boys… they can hold their own."

"Why did you make a deal with those people?" Lee asked, his brow furrowing.

"We got a thread of humanity left, Lee. We can do more good without them in our hair by placatin' em, so that's what we do."

"Think I'll go have a look around."

"Kinda peaceful out here, ain't it? Enjoy it while you can. You'll probably start hearing those monsters fryin' against the fence before too long."

Lee nodded and went back down the hill. He explored and spotted an area that was presumably used for making and cutting things. Lee could imagine Andy working here, fixing the seat of the swingset. There was a red and grey small toolbox that was placed ontop of a large wooden working station. He opened the buckles of it and looked inside. There was all sorts of materials and tools inside. Lee noticed a specific tool inside, "Multi-tool. That should be handy." He pocketed it, "Just gonna borrow this for a second."

To the right of this working bench, there was a crate with a saw placed on top, "If a couple of tools out in the open is unsafe as it gets, we'll be fine here. Would have been nice to have one of these back at the motor inn." To the right of this crate, there were some wooden planks, "I'll bet they go through a lot of wood keeping those fences repaired."

He continued his external monologue and approached the generator which was currently in use, "I'm glad Andy knows how to fix this if something goes wrong. I'm clueless about this stuff." Lee walked around the area, trying to find something to do. He sighed and decided to head back into the barn.

* * *

Clementine and the others were still occupied with watching the pregnant cow. Because of that, Lee decided to look around in the farm. He started with opening some of the stall doors, finding nothing but hay and more saltlicks. At the very back right of the barn was a stall that Lee opened. Inside he found a wheelbarrow, "Looks like a bunch of old, dirty clothes. Smells pretty foul." He reclosed the stall door and approached the back of the barn where there was a large double door that was closed. Lee would've considered opening this, if there had not been a key lock on the very front. _Why would they lock this door? What's behind it?_ Lee thought. His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of his friend, "You found it too, eh?"

Lee turned to see Kenny walking towards his side, "Lee, they're hiding something. Behind this door. I got a quick look. They got boxes of s tuff. And something metal and sharp."

"Don't get paranoid."

"It's my JOB to be paranoid, Lee. I got my whole family on this farm right now. How about you? What about Clem?"

"I'll protect her, no matter what."

"I know you will." Kenny agreed, "Look, that guy with Katjaa… What's-his-name. He locked it up real TIGHT the second we came in. I definitely heard a noise back there, Lee."

"What?"

"My point is, we gotta know for sure. So go find a hammer, and I'll have this thing off in a second. You back me up in case them farmers come running."

"Hang on, man. Think this through. You smash the lock. Then what if it turns out you're wrong? You just fucked your chance to get a good meal in those kids you're trying to protect. Use your head, Kenny."

"All right, professor. What do you have in mind?" Kenny replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Let me have a look at what we're dealing with first."

Lee examined the lock; there were four screws that held the door in place, connecting to this, was a metal bar and a lock that was a part of it. He decided that he wasn't going to take the lock apart.

"Hey. Lee. You know how to pick a lock, right?"

"No. No! Why would you say that?"

"Well. You're… you know… urban?" Kenny tried an attempt at smiling to try to make it sound better

"Oh, you are NOT saying what I think you're saying."

"Jesus, man! I'm from Florida! Crazy shit just comes out of my mouth sometimes. Sorry."

"Hmph!" Lee shook his head.

"What?"

"See those screws? Instead of breaking the padlock, we can just take off the assembly, have a peek inside, and then replace it all again, like nothing ever happened." Lee whispered.

"All right. Sounds like you got a plan. I'll hang around and keep an eye on that guy with the cow."

"Andy."

"Shit. I thought that was Danny. Whatever."

Their hushed conversation was interrupted by the suspicious voice of Andy, "Can I help you boys find something?"

Lee remained silent, but Kenny was able to provide an excuse, "Ah, no. We're fine. Just looking around…"

"No problem." Andy replied, "Hey, uh… do me a favor. Don't fuck around with this door. Just, you know, Mama gets nervous."

Katjaa called for Andy, "Andrew! I need your help again."

"No problem! Right away, doc!"

Kenny looked at Lee and nodded, he went to his lookout job. Lee was about to do his work with the lock when Andy noticed, "Guys. Seriously. Don't fuck around with that. C'mon. Enough already."

It seemed to Lee that he had to distract Andy to get him out of the barn. He tried talking him out of the barn, "Hey there, Andy."

"Yeah?"

"Danny mentioned he needed something." He lied through his teeth.

"Did he say what?"

"Shit, I can't remember now. Sorry."

Andy sighed, "… All right, all right. Be right back, doc." He rolled his eyes and proceeded out of the barn. Lee went over to Kenny, "I picked up something I think could help with the lock."

"All right. Good to hear."

Lee continued his way to the back of the barn and up to the secret door, "Okay, let's do this…"

Suddenly, Andy came walking back up to the barn, "False alarm. I'm back."

_Shit._ Lee silently cursed to himself. There had to be another way to buy him some more time. He walked up to Andy again, "So… where do you keep the rest of the tools?"

"If you need something, tell me what it is, and I can get it for ya."

"Nah, not that important."

Lee considered lying about Danny needing Andy's assistance again but thought the better of it, deciding to ask something else, "Why do you lock that door?" He asked, pointing to the locked one.

"Cuz we can't afford to lose our shit to the people in the woods. They come down here every once in a while, raid our stuff. Even with the fence."

Lee nodded and Andy replied with an "All righty, then."

There didn't seem to be anything inside the barn that could distract Andy for a long enough time so Lee decided to head outside and check around there.

* * *

After a long time of walking around and fiddling with things, an idea came to Lee, _the generator!_ That should buy him a lot of time.

He bent down, looking over the machine. There was a small control panel with easy enough buttons, there was a bright green and red button that obviously meant the on and off switch. There was also a yellow panel on the orange machine that concealed the inner workings of it. He unscrewed it with his borrowed multi-tool, "There ya go." He pulled it open with ease.

There were two gears, one smaller than the other that spun in circles at an extremely fast and dangerous speed. On these gears, was a belt,"Looks like that belt's driving the…uh…whatchamacallit. Hm…" Not thinking, he attempted to remove the belt with his multi-tool. The machine repelled his hand, making an odd and large scratching noise. "Ow! Dammit! That thing is moving fast…" Still not even thinking one bit, he tried it with **his hand**. There was still the same result; luckily, his hand was not torn to pieces by the speed of the machine. Coming to his senses, he turned the machine off. The gears slowed down with a whirring noise, making the belt accessible.

He removed the belt, pocketing it so that Andy couldn't find it, "There. That should do it." Lee quickly resealed the door to the generator and walked a nice distance away so that Andy wouldn't be suspicious. And just in time too, as Andy had noticed the noise from the generator and went over to it, "Fuckin' Danny. Where did he find this piece of shit? Awww, fucking thing threw a BELT! Damn it all to the… son of a… frak. Ugh, this'll take forever…."

_Good._ Lee thought, this should buy him ample time for him and Kenny to do some sneaking around at the locked door. He returned inside the barnhouse.

* * *

On his way to the back of the barn, the loud chime of a bell echoed throughout the farm's property – dinner time. Lee ignored it and focused on the job at hand.

Duck got to his feet, "Mom! Dad! Dinner time! It's dinner time!"

Katjaa chuckled, "Okay, honey. Let's get Dad."

Duck chased after Kenny who was by Lee's side, "Dad! Dad! C'mon, let's EEAAAAAT!"

"Kenny? Come along, honey." Katjaa instructed, "Kenny, c'mon, don't make the children wait."

Kenny couldn't disobey; he turned to Lee and whispered, "I'll make an excuse for you… Get that thing off!" He followed his family and Clementine out the door towards the St. John's home.

Lee examined the lock, and began using the multi-tool on the screws, letting the screws drop to the floor. Now that the door was unlocked, he slowly pulled the doors open, his eyes widening as his view of the room grew larger.

**Andy's Note: Muahahaha. Longest chapter ever! I'm quite proud of myself for writing this. How is it? Rate or hate? See you guys in the next chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

_"I'll make an excuse for you… Get that thing off!" _Kenny's voice echoed through Lee's head. Indeed, he would. Then, he would go galloping in desperate hunger to join his mates by the table.

Lee viewed the mechanism that separated the hidden and suspicious room and him. He began using the "_borrowed"_ multi-tool on the small screws. The screws proved to be no match for the tool; one by one they dropped silently to the floor. Lee began to sense a rush of relief as the last screw fell. He carefully reached forward, imagining what could be inside. The doors opened towards him.

His newly-found relief was suddenly demolished, replaced with chilling horror.

The room looked as it was pale red, illuminated by a mysterious source. But this wasn't the horrific factor that had stopped Lee in his tracks. There was a large variety of tools that didn't quite give Lee the impression of happiness and rainbows. They were sharp and dangerous. Designed to cut something to shreds. They were covered in gruesome blood that looked fresh. On one the tables, were many bear traps that resembled venus fly traps, eagerly awaiting for their victims. Like the deadly machinery, there was a large blood trail that had been smeared in a way that looked like the source had been dragged across the floor roughly. In one of the corners was a tiled container that contained a pool of blood which almost made Lee retch. Not a major spot in the room was safe from the red splatter.

Lee was frozen to the spot; his expression looked like he had seen a ghost. Out of the blue, there was a voice from behind him, "Boy. Didn't you hear the bell?" The sudden sound of his voice brought Lee back out of his trance, making him turn. It was Andy. The corners of Andy's mouth perked up creepily, "Dinner time." He didn't take his eyes off of Lee.

"Why was there so much blood in there?!" Lee tried to keep calm, there had to be an explanation for this. The farmers were nice people…weren't they?

"Look. We have food here, but Danny and I still gotta do a lot of hunting to keep everyone fed." Andy explained calmly, it sounded rehearsed, "When we catch something in the woods, we skin it and dress it back there. Mama doesn't like us to make a mess in the house. So you see? Nothin' to worry about." He arched his eyebrow at Lee, avoiding eye contact for a brief moment.

Though the dairy farmer's story fit the picture, Lee obviously still had his doubts about it. He remained silent, brushing past Andy and out the door. In the corner of his eye, he saw Andy frustratingly shake his head before he followed behind Lee. The two solemnly and silently walked towards the farmhouse. Lee sniffed the air, from the house emitted a delicious scent of foods. As they opened the door to enter, Lee could hear the loud and excited chatter of his group inside, "Biscuits, wow!" Duck blurted out. He overheard Larry uproariously complimenting Brenda for the meal. Lilly passed Lee towards the table, giving him a slight smile and nod.

The place seemed tidy enough, in contrast with the bloody room. Not far from the front of the entrance was a staircase leading upwards. The object adjacent to the staircase caught his interest. It was a bunch of shelves and a wardrobe positioned defensively. It reminded Lee of the barricades back at the motel. He cocked his head in curiosity and confusion. Andy seemed to have read his mind, "Excuse the mess. We had to block the back door after a walker got upstairs. Don't worry, that was a while ago and they ain't been back inside since."

Lee nodded, accepting the story. Andy walked ahead of him into the dining room. Lee noticed something off however, Andy had a large revolver of some sort concealed in his back pocket. He dismissed the idea, believing it was just a precaution and safety measure.

Brenda's voice chimed, "Everybody sit down and I'll go get the meal!" she winked, "Ooh, this is a delight!"

Kenny sighed in relief, "I could eat a horse."

Lee looked at the table, counting the members of the party, _Clementine, Duck, Kenny, Katjaa, Lilly, and __**Larry **__(He unconsciously thought bitterly at that name.)_…_what about…?_

"Where's Mark?" Lee inquired.

Brenda's voice became a tad more quiet and serious, "Now don't you worry about him. I've already brought some food up. You just let him rest."

Lee's eyebrows furrowed and he looked down in understanding, was this the truth though? Lee had to make sure with his own eyes, "Mind if I wash my hands first?" he arched his eyebrow.

"Bathroom's right outside in the hall. And be sure to get under your nails, you've been muckin' around in the dirt all day." Brenda instructed firmly.

He nodded. He wasn't going to the bathroom to wash his hands however; he had different plans in mind.

Lee left the dining room. Looking around, he could see that the house was cozy and appealing to the eye. It seemed that the main two colors were shades of green and brown, giving it a nice woody feel. There was a round frame, holding a picture of a slightly younger Brenda and a tidy bearded man who Lee believed to be her husband, Terry. He could be wrong though. Opposite of this display, was a proud set of medals, ribbons, and certificates. These dairy farmers certainly were successful ones.

Lee continued through the house, he went into the washroom and creaked open the medicine cabinet. It seemed normal enough; there was shaving cream, gauze pads, and some kind of lotion.

He exited the bathroom, deciding to go _assess the situation_ upstairs. Lee looked back towards the direction of the dining room, making sure nobody was spying. To his relief, there was none. He slowly began to crawl his way up the stairs. He made sure to place his footing correctly; one slip and everything could go to hell. Fast. To his dismay, one of the steps happened to be old and creaky and it groaned as he put his weight on it. He looked behind him, expecting the farmers to come running with pitchforks. When they didn't, he continued his way up.

When he made it to the second floor, Lee noticed a long and slender red cable that trailed and snaked its way up along the stairs, before abruptly turning and slithering into a closet door. Curious, Lee followed the red trail. He slid the door open, revealing more of the cord. It seemed to lead into a hole into a different room. It was disconnected. _Where's that cord going?_ Along with the cord, was a large variety of medicine and medical waste that seemed unorthodox for dairy farmers.

Turning away from the closet, Lee headed towards the bedroom door which Mark was supposedly recovering in. He opened the door quietly, careful not to wake him up. He peered in, widened his eyes and more quickly opened the door. The fluorescent bed was empty, no sign of any recent resting. _Where the hell is Mark?_ _I thought Brenda said he was up here resting?_ Not far from the bed, was a small splatter of something. It was red. "Is that blood?" Lee whispered to himself gravely. In front of the stain was a large bookshelf, containing some history books that Lee would've been interested to read on any other day. There were also some cookbooks and farmbooks, it didn't seem out of the ordinary.

Lee looked up and out into the window which was draped in green curtains. There were dark clouds that gave the feeling of intimidation and uneasiness, "Feels like there's a storm coming."

Lee didn't know what to check out now, he decided to return downstairs to interrogate Brenda. As he placed his foot down on the first step down, there was suddenly a loud thump and rummaging that came from the closet, "Unnggh…!" a voice cried out in extreme pain, following by slight whimpers.

_What the hell?_ Lee retracted his foot. "Help me…" a definitely familiar voice begged weakly. He crept back towards the supposed source of the pained cries. The closet. The curiosity getting to the better of him, he connected the previously disconnected cords. It triggered a faint light which illuminated from the tiny hole, and a thunking noise. He waved his hand in front of the light, testing to see if he was seeing things. Lee frowned in worry, just what the hell was going on here?

Subconsciously, he knew the place to go. He re-entered the bedroom. There was a dim light that shone from behind the bookcase. It was just like in the classics. There was a secret room. But why? If mystery novels had taught Lee anything, it was that secret rooms never meant anything good. Secretly, he hoped that there was no secret room. But these hopes were diminished by the facts of the hidden light and the cries of pain earlier.

He moved to the side of the obstruction, planted his feet into the floor, and shoved. Slowly, but surely, the obstacle slugged out of the way. To nobody's surprise, there was a door behind it. Lee gulped, hoping for the best. He braced himself, placing his hand on the knob and turning. The door wasn't even fully open when he saw Mark on the floor, laying in a large, growing pile of his own blood. The door continued to swing open, revealing more of his body. Or what was left of it. Lee's eyes felt like the size of china plates.

"Lee…" Mark breathed, slightly moving the bloody stumps of his legs.

Lee held back his puke, covering his mouth, "Mark?! What the hell happened?!"

"…" Mark gasped, excruciatingly trying to convey what had happened, "…brothers…"

"What the hell happened to your legs man?" Lee half screamed, half whispered, the horror and sorrow easily witness able on his face.

"Don't..." Mark raised his head slightly, it looked like it was as tough a marathon in his state of being, he gasped, taking shallow and short breaths, "eat…. dinner…."

Lee understood immediately in horror, getting to his feet and looking around panickingly. Not a second after this, Brenda's voice called, "Lee, did ya fall in?! Dinner's on the table an everyone's havin' at!"

He heard a voice, though he couldn't recognize it with all the chaos going on, "Barbeque! Wow…"

Lee's thoughts immediately went to the girl he had been protecting for three months, "Clementine!" He had to get to Clementine before she eats!

Lee had no time to waste, screw making noise! Lee dashed across the wooden planks of the floor, leaving the door open and flew down the stairs. At the bottom he regained his balance quickly by bouncing off of the nearest wall. He zoomed into the dining room, looking down he saw Danny's gun. _No time to think about that._ Lee forced his head to look up. Clementine was in the midst of stabbing a piece of meat with her fork and putting it into her mouth. Time seemed to slow down, "Don't eat that!" Lee barked. Clementine flinched, taking her head away from the human meat. She heeded the order and put her fork back down. Lee felt a slight relieved feeling in having been able to stop his young charge from eating.

His sudden outburst had attracted the rest of the company, "…ehh?" Lilly looked up from her plate. They all looked at him with a worried and is-he-crazy expression.

Kenny frowned, "Lee, Jesus, man! Did you find something?" The others seemed confused at this statement.

Larry boomed, "Oh, sit your ass down, Lee. This lady has made you a meal."

Lilly agreed, "Yeah, Lee, what's gotten into you?"

"He could use some goddamn manners." Larry sneered.

Lee chose to be direct, "Mark is upstairs with his FUCKING LEGS cut off! You're EATING him!" Clementine slightly flinched at the swear.

"That's crazy!"

"What the hell…?"

"Now, now…" Brenda tried to calm everyone down.

"You're scaring the kids, Lee." Kenny stated.

"Lee, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Lilly frowned, questioning his sanity.

Andy gave him a look that seemed to mirror her words.

Larry continued to insult Lee, "Don't indulge him, Lilly. It's always something with this guy."

Katjaa seemed to listen to Lee, pulling the dish that Duck was eating away from him, "Mom, I was eating that!"

Lee continued, trying to persuade the rest of his group to believe him, "We need to get the kids, everyone, out of here. We need to go. NOW."

Danny suddenly started mumbling, staring at the fork in his hand, "Everything coulda turned out okay for you folks."

Andy tried to explain, "He woulda' died anyway! We gotta think about LIVIN'!"

Brenda spoke up, "Settle down, honey. Growin' up in rural Georgia, you're taught not to waste." As she began her story, the rest of Lee's group began to look frightened and they had looks of disbelief, starting to believe that Lee's story was not infact a product of insanity and stupidity, "It's how I was raised and how I raised my boys. Now, you got monsters roamin' around that do nothin' but eat people. And for what? To continue to rot til' they eat some more. We think we can put that meat to better use." she smiled.

Lee stared at Brenda and her sons, "You're all sick…sick in the head."

Brenda glared daggers back in return, "Lee, that's not a very nice thing to imply." She turned to the dining table's occupants, agreeing with Andy who smiled, "Andy is right; we go after folks who were gonna die anyways, one way or another."

Danny looked up expressionlessly from his meal, sending shivers down everybody's backs, "Like ya'll."

It was silent for a moment, everyone exchanged looks of fear. Lee broke the silence, "Clementine, run!"

In a quick and fluid movement, Andy reached behind him and pulled out his revolver, "Nobody's going anywhere!" Danny also got up from his seat, retrieving his precious weapon and threateningly aiming it, "We got lots of use for ya'll right here."

Larry sputtered, "What…the…what…the fucking…what…fuck?!"

Lilly tried to handle the situation, "Put your guns down! We're walking out of here!"

"You don't go NEAR my fucking family!" Kenny growled.

"I don't wanna die...Mommy what did I eat…" Duck cried.

"Everyone! Everything will be okay!" Lee tried to falsely calm the group.

"Lee! Lee…!" Clementine began to cry.

All of a sudden, Andy reached a long arm out, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her back. There was an intense stare and silence between Andy and Lee. If Andy was any closer, Lee would've strangled the man, "You fucker! I'll tear you apart!" Lee snarled furiously. He would have begun to throw himself over the table towards Andy if Danny had not shoved the barrel of his rifle into Lee's chin, stopping him in his tracks. Lee's expression was replaced with one of fear. He stepped back, frowning immensely at Danny.

Then there were loud thumps on the wooden floor as something large roughly toppled down the stairs. Everyone noticed it and shifted their head's direction toward it. There was the sound of a cloth being dragged against the floor as it got closer and closer. _Oh no...it can't be...can it? _Lee turned his head to look at the rest of the group before looking back. A pair of hands came into view, struggling to pull along the bloody and shortened body of Mark, "PLLLEEEASE…SOMEONE…!" Everyone gasped in disgust and dread. However horrific it was, they couldn't take their eyes off. Mark continued to drag himself closer, before plopping himself down with a sickeningly splat, having exhausted the remainder of his slowly draining energy.

Lee looked at Clementine who had witnessed the whole thing, "Clementi—" he began to yell, before suddenly being whacked in the head with Danny's precious. He hit the floor, almost collapsing on top of Mark.

**Andy's Note: Oooooh. It's getting interesting now. I liked writing this chapter a lot because there were a lot of bits in which I could describe and that makes me happy. What do you guys think? Do you think that I've gotten a bit better at description and things like that? Rate or hate? Also, I've gotten a suggestion from a reviewer that I should add my own _voice_ into the story by adding my own dialogue or things like that. If you readers would like to see me do that, I can. But I'm just a bit worried that people will start saying _"BLARGH. DIS ES NO NAVURIZAYSHUN. WAT DIS." _Of course, if I add my own dialogue, the story's events will not change. I can just add scenes that will not have a major effect on the story. Such as you Carley Lovers, I can add more scenes in which Lee and Carley interact more or things like that. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. See you later! (Hopefully not as late as last time.)  
**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**Andy's Note: Hey readers/audience of this story! How's it goin'? Hehe, so, like the previous chapter if you didn't read the AN at the bottom, I'm going to ask the same question again: (copy-paste lulz.) I've gotten a suggestion from a reviewer that I should add my own ****_voice_**** into the story by adding my own dialogue or things like that. If you readers would like to see me do that, I can. But I'm just a bit worried that people will start saying ****_"BLARGH. DIS ES NO NAVURIZAYSHUN. WAT DIS." _****Of course, if I add my own dialogue, the story's events will not change. I can just add scenes that will not have a major effect on the story. Such as you Carley Lovers, I can add more scenes in which Lee and Carley interact more or things like that. If you think I should, leave a review! Or, you just leave a review about anything you'd like to if you like it the way it is. I've actually started incorporating the achievements that you can get from playing The Walking Dead game, such as the previous one with Jolene's death. I'm not sure if that's a good idea though, so tell me your opinion on it. Thanks as always! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Lee woke to the disgruntled sound of Larry pounding away, "Open the god damned door!" The first image he saw through his half-opened tired eyes were more those salt licks that were in the barn. "You can't keep us in here! OPEN UP! I WILL TEAR YOU FUCKERS APART WITH MY BARE HANDS!"

Of course, there were no answers to these threats.

"Will you stop that banging! We've gotta find another way out of here." Kenny came into view. Behind him, Lilly was puking her guts out. With his headache, Lee also felt like vomiting.

Larry was still cursing, "You sick fucking bastards! OPEN THIS DOOR GOD DAMMIT! I will knock the GODDAMN DOOR DOWN!" Lilly, having recovered from her spill, tried to calm him down with her words.

Lee opened his eyes once more to see Clementine, watching Larry's angry attempts with a nervous expression. Then, she took notice of him, rushing to his side, "Lee!"

He shook his head, trying to get rid of the headache and blurry vision.

"It-it was a person! They tried to make us eat a person!" Clementine stammered.

"But you didn't do it…" Lee replied weakly.

"No…"

Larry snarled, "The rest of us did, God damnit! If you hadn't dragged your feet…"

Lilly mediated, "C'mon, Dad. Now's not that time."

Lee ignored Larry, focusing his attention on the small girl who sat in front of him, "You okay, Clementine? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Mm-hmm." She shook her head, Lee felt relieved.

Larry continued to hammer at the door, shouting his head off, "OPEN UP!"

Kenny went over to Lee, bringing him back to speed, "Lee, those psychos have my family, and we're stuck in a damn meat locker!" He grimaced, his eyes widening, "We've gotta get the fuck outta here!"

Clementine whimpered, "I'm scared."

"Don't be." Lee comforted, "It's gonna be okay… I'm gonna find us a way out of here… Don't give up."

"Can I help?"

"Sure, honey! You keep your eyes open for exposed screws or loose panels… anything we can pry away to open a passage out of here."

"Okay…"

The meat locker they were apparently in was small and there weren't many things inside apart from shelves, wood, boxes of some sort, and a large amount of salt licks. A large air vent pumped cold air into the room, obviously meant to keep the food cold and lasting. This gave Lee the chills; (literally and metaphorically) it seemed that he and his party were the planned meals. Bon appétit.

Lee looked around, there had to be something they could use to get out, right? Larry was still knocking on the door and Lilly continued to try to calm him down. Kenny was in one corner of the room, examining the paneling for any loose cracks or holes. Lee went over to a bunch of wooden pallets, his hopes perking up, "Could there be a hole behind these pallets?" He looked behind it, sighing, "No such luck."

By the sound of Larry's voice, it sounded like it was getting weaker and he took more breaths.

Lee examined the shelves to the side of the pallets, "These shelves seem sturdy, and we could climb up." He looked at the pipe littered ceiling and grunted, "But there's no way out through the ceiling. He decided to check the air conditioner, "Hmm…"

Not long after he started examining it, Larry began to slow, "…I'll break the damn door down..!"

"Dad! You can't-" Lilly began, noticing the symptoms.

It was too late, "Aah!" Larry winced, clutching his chest, "Urg!"

"Easy…" she stepped closer, her hand raising towards him.

"Hrrrgggttt! Oh God…" he groaned, before beginning to collapse into a heap on the floor. Clementine gasped, raising her hands to her mouth.

"DAD?!" Lilly got to her knees, instinctively checking her father's pulse, "No! Dad, come on! DAD! Oh God, he's stopped breathing. I think he's had a heart attack!" She began pushing down on his chest in a constant pattern.

Kenny stepped back, "Shit! Is he dead?"

"He's not dead. Somebody help me!"

"Fuuuuuuck… if he's dead…"

"HE'S NOT DEAD!" She glared daggers.

Kenny ignored her claims, shifting his head sadly to Lee, "…You know what has to happen, Lee. Think about it. You saw that poor bastard at the motel. How fast he turned."

Lilly shouted, "What are you saying?"

"Lilly, I'm sorry. I truly, truly am. But in a few minutes, we're gonna be stuck in a locked room with a 6-foot-four, 300 pound, SERIOUSLY pissed off dead guy!"

"FUCK YOU! We can bring him back!" She sweared, dismissing his thoughts, "LEE!"

"We'll mourn him later. But right now, we have to keep him from comin' back."

Clementine shrieked, adverse to killing, "No!"

"God dammit, Kenny! He's not dead!"

Lee frowned, "We can't kill him if he's not dead, Kenny!"

"You remember how hard it was for you to get that monster off of Katjaa? And Larry's twice his size!" Kenny continued, "It's him or us."

"Look, Kenny… Back at the drug store when we all thought Duck was bitten… I gave him the benefit of the doubt… Maybe we should do the same now."

Kenny shook his head frustratingly, "That was different. Duck wasn't bitten. But, come on, we KNOW this guy's not gonna make it. Remember what Ben said. Gotta destroy the brain…"

_Oh no. Not another choice…_ Lee thought gravely. The voices of his comrades cried for his aid.

**_"Come on, Lee. You can't be in the middle on this one. You've gotta have my back this time!"_**

**_"God damnit Lee! I NEED you! Please help me! Come on Dad, come on! Wake up…wake up!"_**

Lee didn't know what exactly influenced his decision that night. It might've been because of the cowering little girl in the corner. He had to protect his young charge. With these chances of Larry reanimating, he just couldn't take them. He couldn't think about or deal with the consequences right now. Maybe later, but definitely not now. But days later, he would find himself sitting alone, thinking about what he could've, should've, would've done.

"You're right Kenny. Let's get this over with." He turned to Kenny, nodding.

**"You fucking monsters! Both of you!" **Lilly screeched, sobbing at the same time.

"I don't wanna see!" Clementine wailed, running towards the farthest corner, turning her back against the madness.

"I'm sorry Lilly." Lee whispered, getting behind Lilly, preventing her from aiding her father, "No no no. Get off me! Don't do this! No… no no no!"

He was starting to regret this decision. But it was already too late. No turning back.

Lilly fought back, struggling. She threw Lee off, landing on Larry from the momentum. Lee regained his stance, continuing to pull her off, "No please!" she continued to sob. Kenny picked up one of the salt licks, perching it heavily on his shoulder, and slowly began to make his way to Larry's body. "Noooo!" Lee's face was replaced with one of no emotion, trying to hide his pain. He successfully heaved Lilly away from Larry.

"Grrraghh!" Kenny grit his teeth, lifting the salt lick high off his head and bringing it down, doing in Larry. There was a splatter of blood, bones, and brains as it smashed onto his skull. Much of it went onto Kenny's shirt, staining it. His hands were also soaked in the man's blood. He stepped away from the body, his expression one of heavy guilt and disbelief of what he had done. Lee and Kenny looked down at their work, blinking to see if they had actually killed the poor bastard or if it was all just a terrible, terrible nightmare. "God help us." Kenny gasped, realizing it was indeed not a nightmare. _Too much salt will kill you… _Lee thought, but it wasn't time for jokes and things like that.

Lilly had restored her position at her father's side. A large mess of blood began to grow next to his destroyed head. Lilly sobbed heavily, mourning her loss. Kenny bent down to her and whispered, "I'm sorry. I know it-"

She pounced, **"Don't you fucking touch me!"**

There was the loud and disturbing sound of Clementine sobbing, the noise echoing and bouncing off the narrow tiled walls. Lee's head flicked up at the noise, "Clementine. Clem… You okay?"

"Why Lee?! Lilly said he wasn't dead!"

"He was dead, Clementine…" he tried to persuade her.

"But what if he wasn't?"

"He was. I- I promise."

She sniffed, whimpering as Lee pulled her into his hold, "Shh… I know, I know. But you gotta be strong right now. I need you to be strong. Think about something else…something hopeful."

Her brown-yellow eyes bore into him, "Like what?"

"How about your walkie-talkie… those pretend talks with your Mom and Dad. Don't those make you feel better?"

"Sometimes." She nodded remorsefully, "We're gonna get out, right? You found a way out?"

"I'm workin' on it."

Lee went over to the air conditioner again, flashes of the crazy scene that had befallen them entered his mind. He tried his best to ignore them. Lee began to examine the conditioner, "I wonder…. There ought to be an air duct behind this unit…. Maybe big enough for one of us to fit through…."

"I dunno, Lee… seems like a longshot." Kenny paced back and forth, thinking deeply.

Clementine joined the discussion, "Does the air-conditioner come off?"

"I think I could take it off… if I had something to remove the screws…" Lee began, before beginning to reach into his pocket, "The multi-tool! Of course they took it. Shit."

"Maybe there's something else we could use. I've got a rock." Clementine suggested.

"Nah…a rock won't help…but a COIN might do the trick. Do you have a coin?"

"Uh-uh…" she shook her head regretfully.

Lee remembered something from the back of his head. It was from earlier in the day… _"What do you want? A hand out? I've got 60 cents in my pocket if you'll shut up and quit being such a pansy." _Larry had said to Mark. The memory rang out.

Shit.

Lee turned to glance at Lilly and Larry's bloody corpse. This wasn't going to be good.

Lee slowly walked over, trying to delay the inevitable. Lilly noticed his presence, "Get away."

"I just need to-"

She snapped, her eyes bulging, "I TOLD YOU TO GET THE FUCK AWAY!"

"Lilly, I-I'm sorry…"

"Don't talk to me, Lee. Don't fucking talk to me." She whimpered, heavy with sadness.

"Larry would've wanted—"

"Fuck you! You think he wanted THIS?" Lilly misunderstood.

"Of course not, but—"

"You don't know what he wanted! You never knew him! You never gave him a chance!" her eyes narrowed before she began to sob.

Sick with being interrupted, Lee spoke more quickly, "Maybe not! Maybe-maybe I should've tried harder. But I know he loved YOU." Lilly continued to sniff, "He'd want you to get out of here."

She recovered from her outburst, but continued to look down at the corpse at her feet. Lee continued speaking, "I think I may have found us a way out of here. But I'll need something to remove the screws on the air-conditioner. If you had something I could use as a screwdriver…a coin or something…"

"No." she jerked out an answer.

He sighed, "…What about HIM? Look, I know this is a terrible time for it, but…back at the Motor Inn, Larry mentioned something about keeping coins in his pockets…"

She grit her teeth, "In other words, my father's more useful to you dead than alive."

"If he was a live, and had the key to getting us out of here, do you think he'd keep it to himself?"

"What do you want? My blessing to _LOOT_ his corpse?"

Lee looked down, "…Your…permission."

Her face fell, "…Do what you have to do."

Even with her permission to _loot_ her dead father's corpse, Lee didn't feel any better about doing this. He looked down at Larry, feeling sick to the stomach. "Hoo boy. Any idea which pocket he keeps his change in?"

"Fucking vulture…"

He knelt down, reaching into the closet pocket. He rummaged around, looking away from what he was doing. Lee pulled out a ring curiously. Lilly explained, "My mother's…" Lee placed it back inside the pocket, reassuring, "Don't worry. I'm not takin' it."

Lee continued to scavenge Larry's pockets, choosing the opposite side's and feeling about. His fingers came in contact with metallic cold pieces. "Here we go." He sighed, pulling them out. "Two quarters… and a dime."

Lee left the dead man's body and went over to the perching air conditioner, "Just gotta remove these screws and get this unit off…" He could feel the eyes of Clementine and Kenny behind him. Lee unscrewed one screw off. Kenny spoke up, "You got it?"

"Yeah. One more should do it." He responded, unscrewing the other one. After that, he and Kenny worked together to lift the vent off the conditioner, placing it neatly on the ground, "Well there's our way out, Lee. Looks like it'll probably lead right into that back room…"

"It's too small for us to fit through."

"I can do it." A small voice chimed. It was Clementine's. Lee knelt down to her size, "You know you don't have to do this, right?"

"I know. I just want to go home."

Kenny whispered, "This'll help us get back home."

She sighed, "Okay."

"You're gonna be fine." said Lee reassuringly, as he hoisted his young charge up between the arms and into gaping hole of the vent.

Clementine peered back, "What do I do when I get out?"

"See if you can get to the other side of that door and open it."

She nodded warily before disappearing down the conditioner's dark tunnel. They all listened, even Lilly. It was silent for a bit, except for the clanging of the little girl moving through the vent. It made Lee wonder how people in movies were able to get away with it inconspicuously. Then, he could make out the barely audible noise of a girl's gasp that made his heart plummet. Everyone had also noticed it, worry touching their expressions.

Then it was completely silent, save the occasional dripping of _something_ which marked the passing of time.

What's going on? What happened? Was she caught? _Is she alright?_ The questions were answered when the locked door to the freezer suddenly clicked open and a small face peered in.

Lee burst, though he managed to keep his voice down, "Are you okay?! Did anyone see you?"

"No. But there's a man outside."

He walked over to Lilly, "Lilly. We gotta go."

"Leave me alone."

Kenny interrupted, pulling Lee's attention, "Lee! I can see him."

He revert his focus back to the woman on the floor, "It's not safe in here-"

"For God's sake Lee, I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

Kenny whispered loudly, "Get in here, I got an idea."

Lee nodded, though it was impossible for Kenny to see it. He went over to the door, turning to Clementine, "Stay here. Take care of Lilly, okay?"

"I will."

Taking one last look at the meat locker, Lee stepped through the door.

* * *

He found Kenny standing amidst the bloody butcher room, gazing in shock at the mess. He noticed the jars of human body parts that were reddened with blood. Kenny gasped, "I told you there was something up with this damn room! It's a goddamned human slaughterhouse!"

_I agree…this place gives me the chills…_

Kenny bent down, peeking through the farm door. There was something on the table closest to Lee, he curiously picked it up. It was a hay hook…or something like that. He examined the two long prongs that curved at the end. Sharp. Lee noticed the vent that Clementine had come through. He wished that he hadn't sent her through this place; it would've given ANYONE nightmares for days.

"So what's the plan?" Lee whispered.

"That dumbass is so caught up in his own rant that we could probably sneak right up on him. Just stick behind me, in case anything goes down. When we get to the front, we'll grab his gun."

"Sounds good." Lee agreed.

"Okay, you ready?"

Boy was he ready. It must've shown on his face, "Yeah, let's go."

"Stay close."

They pushed open the farm doors, not bothering to close them. It was Danny who was apparently on watch. At his side was his prized possession, the rifle. Fortunately for them, it was raining heavily, possibly covering up any small noises they made.

Like Kenny had said, he was grumbling and mumbling to himself. "…And momma, I know you mean well, and God bless you, but you have GOT to stop playing favorites with Andy. I know he's older, but that don't make him better. And it certainly don't make him smarter."

The two of them were almost to the front, when another figure appeared. It was Andy, "Dan, what are you doing outside the barn?"

"Oh shit!" Kenny cursed silently. The two of them quickly took refuge in one of the many barn stalls.

"Just guarding the place, like you said."

"Well, quit sittin' out in the rain like a damn weirdo. Mama says we can't keep that many folks alive and not expect trouble." Andy continued, "Pick one to keep and kill the rest."

"Can I pick which one to keep alive?"

The amount of casualness in their words frightened Lee. They definitely weren't their first guests ever. It seemed like they had grown used to this form of cannibalism.

"Not the kid. Not enough meat on her to trade."

Lee felt his blood boil.

Andrew seemed to have walked away, for the conversation between him and his brother had ended. Suddenly the farmers' cow, Maybelle mooed nonchalantly.

While Danny was talking to the cow, which seemed kind of odd to Lee, Kenny whispered towards Lee, "Take a look through the cracks…"

He heeded Kenny's order, pushing the wooden stall's door slightly ajar and peering out. Danny was chuckling and holding while of the bear traps and preparing to set it. What the hell was he doing? He then closed the barn door and there was silence from him.

Kenny mimicked his thoughts, "What's he doing? Can you see him?"

"Sick fucker thinks this is a game! We'll take him out together."

"How?"

"He doesn't know we're out. He's gotta walk past us to get to the meat locker. We can take him when his back is to us."

"See what he's doing now."

Lee once again pushed open the wooden stall's door. He jerked back when he saw Danny aiming his rifle right at him. _SHIT!_ Lee quickly reacted, grabbing the gun's barrel and aiming it way off. At the last second, it fired, making Lee's ears ring. Danny was backing off now, quickly reaching into his pocket to pull out another bullet. Lee was faster though, he shot forward, skewering Danny in the chest with the hay hook. Danny screamed out in pain before knocking Lee aside with the side of his weapon.

He reached for the handle of the hay hook still imbedded in his chest, ripping it out and yelping. Then, Danny aimed his rifle at Lee, preparing to shoot him. All of a sudden, Kenny kicked the stall door open, knocking the gun out of Danny's arms and slicing him in the side with his sickle. Kenny hit him in the shoulder with the handle of his sharp weapon, pushing him backwards right into the bear trap that Danny himself had laid. Blood spurted out of his foot, leaking onto the floor. He clutched his leg, unable to break free. Kenny threatened, "Where's my family, asshole?!"

"You can't have 'em! We need the vet!" Danny looked up, gritting his teeth in severe pain.

All of a sudden, there was shrill scream that came from somewhere else on the farm's property, "Nooooo!" Kenny perked up at the sound of it, "KAT! Lee! Come on!"

"Just go. I won't be far behind."

Kenny took off, leaving Lee to decide Danny's fate. Lee reached for a pitch fork that was stuck inside a nearby hay bale. He pulled it out, aiming it threateningly at Danny's chest.

"Eerrgghhh! You see?! You understand now, don't you?!" Danny heaved, "You can have me! It's how the world works now! Give part of yourself… so others can live!"

"Cannibalism is NOT the answer! Aren't the Walkers eating enough of us?!"

"You gotta keep me alive. If you kill me, the meat gets tainted! You can't eat it!"

"You're already tainted!" Lee spat.

"You ain't gonna kill me, just like you didn't kill Jolene… You don't have what it takes…! Heheh, fucking coward."

Lee looked back and forth, should he kill the bastard, or should he spare him. He was already dead anyway, the bear trap was irreversible. He threw the pitch fork, emitting a yell from Danny. But the weapon soared over his shoulder, imbedding itself in the haybale behind him. He wasn't going to sink to that level.

"This is NOT how the world works now. You won't make me kill you!" Lee shook his fist at him.

Lilly and Clementine stepped from the meat locker, joining Lee's side.

"Fuck you, Lee. You and Kenny MURDER my dad, but you leave THIS piece of shit alive?! You're a fucking asshole."

Then another scream broke the silence between them, "Oh God! Don't hurt him!"

"That's Katjaa!"

"Please no!"

"Lilly, please keep her safe!" Lee gestured to Clementine.

There was no response from Lilly, she just narrowed her eyes. But Lee believed that she would protect her. Looking back at Clementine, she scrunched her arms closer together and gazed at Lee as he bent low out of the barn to aid the others.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

**Andy's Note: Hey everyone! How are you guys? I'm doing fine, just a bit tired these days. Whenever I write stories for you though, I feel energized! I decided that I'm going add a few of my own scenes and dialogue (I'll also reword some dialogue too.) to this novelization. Don't worry, it won't affect the story, it'll just seem like there's more development between the characters. I'll try it out, but if you guys don't like it, make sure to leave a review. Like all the other chapters, I hope you guys enjoy the read!**

Lee crept into the thick clutches of the stormy night. It was pouring rain alongside with the rumbles of thunder from not far away. The rainwater immediately seeped into his clothing, chilling him. He bent low, taking cover under a small roof-like platform and looking around the area for his comrade, "KENNY!" He was nowhere to be seen.

The plains of crops obstructed his side views greatly but it wasn't like he was going that way anyway. Thunder roared again, striking a jagged line of lightning down into the hills in the distance. The ash-grey clouds drifted in front of the large moon, giving it a hazy greyish-green tone.

Lee turned his view to the house. It was almost entirely engulfed in the dark clouds that brewed above. Lightning flashed, illuminating the home eerily for a split second. Several of the windows were open, shining a dim, white light. They resembled watchful eyes. It was a monster house.

Lee narrowed his eyes. No doubt was his group in there.

…

…Had he heard something just now? Or was it the rain brushing against the growth? He'd survived in this hell of a world long enough to know that there were good enough chances that it wasn't. It was coming down in buckets so it would've been unlikely that the generator was functioning. Lee glanced warily at the crops to his side and hoped for the best.

There was definitely the low hum and groan of one of those things. It shuffled clumsily, inching its way towards the wired fence. Without the generators, it was mere wire on sticks. Lee held his breath. Then, there was a _slash_ and a _thunk_ as the fiend fell to the ground, mixing dirty blood with soil. A familiar figure approached the fence, taking the place of the former. It was her!

"Carley!" Lee whispered. He couldn't tell if he was more relieved and happy or more surprised to see her. She stood, "Lee?" Another figure approached from behind, Lee began to warn her. But then there was a gruff "Ow." as Ben manoeuvred his way through the thicket.

"Shhh!" Carley chastised him.

"Sorry! I think one of these things tore a hol-" he defended himself

"SHH!" she persisted. He heeded her order. She turned her attention back to Lee, "Is everyone okay? We heard screams as we were coming up to the house!"

"We need your help!"

"Yeah, when you guys didn't come back I figured something was up." She arched her eyebrow, "What can we do?"

"Larry's dead. They chopped off Mark's legs and tried to feed them to us!" Lee explained, bringing the two newcomers up to speed.

The look of plain disbelief and horror was evident on both their faces, Carley continued, "Shit! Is everyone else okay?"

"They've still got Duck and Katjaa in the house." Lee whispered, "And I don't know where the fuck Kenny is!"

"All right, we're coming in to help; we'll be right with you."

Lee shook his head, "The main gate is too dangerous, go around the fence and see if there's a back away in. I'll keep looking for Kenny." He looked up, "Do you have a weapon?"

"I don't leave home without it." She smirked, cocking the trusty pistol in her hands, "Ben, stick close. And Lee…be careful." The two of them disappeared back into the maze-like crops.

Lee nodded a bit too late. He crouched down low and stamped through the muddy ground towards the large home. As he drew nearer, he heard Katjaa cry out, "No, please God, don't, NO!"

Another woman's voice chimed out, Brenda's. "Just shut up and he'll be fine!"

They sure talked loudly. Lee pushed open the picket fence gate. He could hear Andrew speaking from inside the house, "Something's up. I'm gonna take the boy and check around back."

"No, please, don't take my boy!"

"Let go, woman!"

Lee climbed up the steps. With all the muck and rain, it was difficult not to lose his footing and slip. Brenda was still talking, "Settle down. I don't wanna hurt ya'll."

As he got closer up the steep pathway, a dark figure appeared in the screen door. It was impossible to recognize who it was but once she spoke, Lee knew it was Brenda St. John. "Andy? Danny, is that you? What's going on out there?" Likewise, she couldn't tell if the silhouette of his was whose.

Uh oh. Now how good was he at imitating peoples' voices? Not good at all. There wouldn't be any point in trying.

"I left Danny in the barn… He got what he deserved!" Lee half-lied.

Brenda sounded frightened, "Oh God…" Her figure was no longer visible from the screen door.

His presence was known now. No use in crouching. He stood to his feet, walking straight up to the door. There were the sounds of a slight struggle inside. Lee got closer and closer to the screen door. What he saw almost knocked the breath out of him. Through the screen door, he could see Brenda holding Katjaa as a hostage at gunpoint. Katjaa breathed, "LEE!"

"Get back! Don't come in here!" Brenda hissed, "You just HAD to go snopping around, didn't you?!"

"Let her go, Brenda!" He tried to persuade her. He opened the door, dismissing her previous demand. She stopped him in his tracks, "Lee, please don't you take another step!" She aimed his gun at him. He had to take this slow and calmly, "Brenda, come on, now, you know you don't want to do this."

"Just go away and leave us be!" her voice broke.

Lee slowly took a step forward before being interrupted by Brenda, "Stop right there! I mean it!"

As Lee took a step, she would also take a step up the stairs, pulling Katjaa along with her, "Just let me go…" Katjaa pleaded.

All of a sudden, lightning flashed, lighting up the top of the stairs. There was a pair of ash colored-skinned arms reaching through the balustrade towards Brenda. Connected to them, was a torso, chopped off at the legs. The eyes of it were hungry.

Mark.

Lee mourned quickly and silently to himself for his fallen partner. He would properly do it again after. He stepped forward, before once again having Brenda point her weapon threateningly at him, "Stay back! Don't do anything stupid." Katjaa looked like a ragdoll, hanging limply by the neck by Brenda's arm.

"Let her go, Brenda."

"Please, listen to him!" Katjaa agreed.

Brenda stepped another two steps up the stairs, closer to reanimated Mark. She put the barrel of the gun against Katjaa's temple, "I'll do it!"

Lee got even closer this time. Just a few more steps…

"I don't wanna kill you, Lee!"

"Please, don't make this any worse. Don't do it. "

"Just stop!" Brenda ordered desperately, stepping up another step.

Lee was at the base of the stairs now. Brenda didn't bother stopping him, she continued going up before there was a foul snarl as Walker Mark grabbed Brenda by the neck, sinking his teeth into it, "Aghhhhhhhhh!"

Katjaa was released from her hold, regaining her stance in front of Lee. They showed no concern for the woman being consumed no less than five feet away from them. Katjaa shook Lee by the shoulders, "They took Duck! Where's Kenny!?"

"I said don't move, asshole!" Andy answered her question indirectly. His voice was coming from outside the farmhouse. "Don't you fucking hurt him!" Kenny's voice lashed. "Oh my god!" Katjaa cried. The two of them ran out, assessing the scene.

"Let him go, God dammit!" Kenny spat.

Kenny was standing across from Andy who held Duck by the ear at gunpoint. It was like the whole scene over again. "That ain't gonna happen!" Andy barked.

Lee tried to calm the situation, "Andy, don't."

"SHUT UP!" Andy aimed his gun at Lee for a second. Kenny, trying to take advantage, ran forward. Andy reacted quickly though, reverting his aim back to Kenny and shooting him. "AGHH!" Kenny howled in pain, falling to the ground. The bullet had pierced his side. Katjaa shrieked, rushing to Kenny's side. Andy's rifle followed her moving figure for a moment before deciding that she wouldn't be a threat. "DAADD!" Duck cried.

Half of Lee wanted to dash to Kenny's side as well, but the other half knew that Kenny would've wanted him to help his son. The latter overwhelmed. Lee put up his hands in front of him defensively, stepping closer to Andy. "Andy!"

"Who the fuck do you people think you are?" Andy screamed, his eyes widening in contempt, "Look at what you've done!"

"Shut the fuck up." Lee's blood boiled.

"You think I'm playin' here, boy?! All we wanted was gas. We came to you peacefully!"

There was a _bang_ as a gun went off. It wasn't Andy's though. A bullet soared through the air, grazing Andy on the side of the head. Carley's face fell, she had missed. Now that Duck had been released, he ran to his father.

Lee charged forward, lashing out. Andy's rifle shot, its bullet flying through the air off target. He used his gun as a shield, ramming into Lee. There was a struggle, each of them fighting to push against the rifle's side. Lee won, shoving the back of it into Andy's cheek, drops of blood leaked out. Because of the sudden change of balance, the two of the lost their footing, tumbling down the hill and crashing into the picket fence and knocking a large portion of it down. "Errff!"

Andy was the first to regain his standing, dashing towards Lee and kicking him in the face. Lee fell backwards in pain, gasping. While he was trying to get up, Andy strode over to the generator, flicking the switch up. The machine whirred to life. Satisfied, he grabbed Lee by the collar, "Get up. Get the fuck up." Lee began to be dragged towards the now-on fence. Lee hollered, fighting back but with no effect.

He felt a firm hand placed behind his head, trying to shove his face directly into the wire. His arms were held behind his back. He resisted the pushes, only to get even closer to the sizzling metal. He was mere centimeters from the metal and he felt like the electricity was beginning to lick his face.

All of a sudden, Clementine and Lilly strode from the barn's doors, "Lilly! Help!" he begged.

Clementine glanced at Lilly frightened. Lilly stared at the rifle in her hands, before looking away from Lee and at the ground. She had abandoned him.

Lee grimaced, somehow finding the strength to push back more against Andy's thrusts. Andy moved his arm to get a better grip but Lee took advantage of the weakened push, elbowing him in the side. Andy flopped onto the ground, struggling to get back on his feet. Lee walked over, planting himself on top of Andrew's chest. He was about to begin beating the life out of his assailant when suddenly his view turned 180 degrees as Andy flipped the positions around. It seemed that the tables had turned.

Andy began throwing blows, managing to get two good ones in before Lee rolled out of the way, pushing Andy into the hot metal fence. The fence lit up for a few seconds as the electricity sizzled through his vibrating body. Andy fell in a heap on the ground, weakened. The battle was over. There was no winning for Andy now.

Lee walked over to Andy's discarded rifle, scooping it up in his arms. Andy seemed to still be alive, holding onto the remaining threads of his life. Blood flowed out of his bleeding, pulsating ear. He struggled to get up, only managing to fall back down again, "Is that all ya got, Lee? …You ain't shit!"

Lee gasped, trying to catch his breath from the assault, "It's over!" He boomed, his voice echoing.

"Fuck you. As soon as Dan and Mama get out here…you're all fucked..! Hehe…" He managed to push himself up so he was standing. However, he slouched greatly, finding it difficult to keep standing.

"I said it's over! Just walk away!"

He looked dazed, his face containing traces of torment and sorrow.

Lee turned away from Andy, who jabbed a finger in his direction, "Don't you DARE walk away from me, Lee!" His voice was steady but his expression seemed to be wavering. Lee continued to walk away. Andy, full of despair, collapsed to the ground on his knees, "GET BACK HERE AND FINISH THIS, LEE…!" The roar of the thunder accented his cry.

Lee stopped in the middle.

In front of him, was his group, waiting for him. Kenny was alive and he seemed to be steady, though he clutched his side painfully.

Behind him, Andy looked down, still on his knees. He did not care for the muck staining his pants and the rain soaking into his pours. It looked pitiful.

Lee could shoot him…or he could walk away.

He shook his head in distaste…_it was over. _Lee continued to ignore Andy's desperate pleas, walking away without a glance.

"Get back here and fight me like a man, Lee!"

There were the heavy steps of the slowly approaching horde, having heard the commotion.

"Leeeeee…!"

The generator began to whirr, releasing a foul cloud of steam. The rain had proved too much for it. The fences were now measly and useless. Vulnerability.

"They're getting in!" Clementine pointed to the oncoming horde. Sure enough, they were. Walkers moaned and growled while either crawling over top the fence or just knocking the whole section down. Andy knew it was happening, but he shook his head. There was no saving his lovely home now. It was gone. He had lost everything. Including his will to live, "Leeeeeeee…" he continued to call out, as Lee abandoned the quivering Andy to the closing in walkers.

"Let's go. Let's go.." He ordered his group. They remained silent, before following his lead. Lilly stood for a moment, laying her eyes on Andy as he did not resist or try to escape. She closed her eyes and shook her head solemnly before following the rest of the party.

"Leeee…" he continued to expressionlessly repeat. One could see that from the barn house, a reanimated Brenda was beginning to stagger down the hill towards the suffering man. The walkers were closer now. But it didn't matter to Andrew St. John anymore.

The group walked in silence other than the occasional mumble and question. Carley broke the silence between the group, "Hey Lee, I'd say I'm sorry for leaving the motel unattended, but…ya know."

"I'm glad you showed up when you did. If you hadn't taken that shot at Andy, we might not have gotten out of there."

"Were they really…killing people…? For food…?" she murmured.

"Yeah, and Clementine almost ate some."

"…But?"

"I stopped her. I can't leave her alone now, Carley." Lee began, "This fucking world, now. It's hiding just…unspeakable shit at every turn."

"Yeah…I agree. I'm just glad you guys made it out okay." Carley expressed, before reaching into her pocket, "Oh. Katjaa managed to grab this while she was in the house. She said it was with your stuff."

It was the video recorder, "Yeah. I found it while I was looking for the people who shot Mark. Do you want it?"

"Why don't you keep it? Sometimes it helps to have something you can document and keep your thoughts on." She smiled

Kenny seemed to be having trouble, he groaned. Katjaa was worried, "How are you doing?"

"I'll be fine. I'm just… not as young as I used to be." He grinned at his son and wife.

Lee walked over to the family. Kenny noticed, "Hon, go on ahead and give me and Lee a second?" They agreed and walked on ahead.

"…How ya holding up, man?" Lee inquired.

"It'll heal. We're just damn lucky it wasn't fatal."

"That's good to hear."

"…"

"…"

"…There's gonna be fallout." Kenny glanced sideways.

"…For killing Lilly's dad? Yeah, I would imagine so."

"What do you think?" he arched his eyebrow.

"I'm with you, Kenny. We will do what has to be done." Lee supported him, showing him his loyalty.

"Damn straight." He smirked, "Listen, that RV back at the motor inn is just about ready. I've changed my mind. I want you to come with us when we leave."

"…Yeah? Are you sure?"

"Hell yeah. We're a team, man. Me and you! By taking out old Larry before he turned…man, you saved all of our lives in that meat locker! And that saved my family too." He grinned, looking Lee straight in the eye, "Yeah, I'd say you earned it."

Clementine strode up to the two. Lee said softly, "Come on Clementine, stay close."

"Lee… Are those bad people dead?"

"We didn't kill them, so I don't know. They might have been able to get away from those walkers, but I'm pretty sure they won't be bothering us again."

She smiled, reassured, "That's good."

Duck suddenly spoke up, "Hey dad, what's that noise?"

Kenny squinted, getting closer, "Sounds like a car…"

"Oh, God… not more strangers." Ben breathed.

Kenny glanced at Lee and nodded. The two of them crouched low, turning the corner. It was a car. The doors were wide open…was it abandoned? "Don't shoot, we're here to help!" Lee called out towards it. There was no response.

They began to approach the vehicle slowly. Lee led the way. As he got closer to the car, he noticed a bunch of things sticking up in the back. He got closer to the opened doors, peering inside. There was nobody inside the vehicle. So it was abandoned. It looked like it hadn't been here for too long. The keys were still there, he tried turning it. Empty. Figures.

"Oh crap!" Kenny exclaimed, "Baby, you've gotta see this!" Lee peered into the back of the car. His jaw nearly dropped.

Oh crap. His thoughts mirrored Kenny's.

"There is a shit load of food and supplies back here!" Kenny continued.

Everyone rushed ahead to see if it was true. Katjaa examined the supplies, "This food could save ALL of us!"

Lilly glanced sideways, her tone serious, "…Not ALL of us."

Kenny sighed deeply. "…"

"Look, we don't know if these people are dead." Ben crossed his arms.

Lilly agreed, "If they come back, then we're just monsters who came out of the woods and ruined their lives."

Clementine supported their opinion, "This stuff isn't ours."

"Dad, whose car is it?" Duck looked uneasy.

"Don't worry about that Duck, it's ours now."

"It's abandoned, Ducky. Don't worry." Katjaa reassured.

Clementine spoke up, "Well what if it's not? What if it's not abandoned? What if it IS someone's?"

It was just like his young charge to be so innocent and considerate of other people. She believed that taking things was morally wrong and that you should do the right thing. Lee stepped up, "You're right. We shouldn't take this."

Kenny shook his fist that wasn't occupied, "What?! Did you get some meal back there the rest of us missed out on?! We HAVE to take this stuff."

"We've done enough damage already."

"…What do you mean by that?" Kenny glared.

"Come on, Kenny. Between this and the meat locker…you know what it means."

"Fine. Suit yourself. The rest of us are taking this stuff." He held his hand out expectantly.

Lee reached into his backpocket, pulling out the car keys and tossing them to Kenny.

Kenny grinned, popping the door to the back open, "Okay, now what have we got in here…"

Lee frowned, feeling more hungry than ever. Clementine held his hand.

"Look, there's more food in that box!" Ben pointed.

"They have antibiotics! Are there any more?" Katjaa wondered.

Carley joined the scavenge, "See if there's any water…"

Kenny handed boxes of supplies to them. Katjaa removed a box of medicine revealing a small pink hoodie, "Lee, there's a hoodie in here, could probably fit Clementine."

Lee looked down at the kid by his side. She shook her head, "She's good. Thanks."

"Whatever man, it's gonna get cold out eventually." Kenny muttered.

Carley walked over to Lee and Clementine, "Hey Lee. I found some batteries in one of those boxes. I thought they might work in your camcorder." She handed some to Clementine as well, "Here, you can have some too… for your walkie-talkie."

"Batteries huh? Think you can handle those?" Lee joked, remembering how horrible she was with technology.

"You're not gonna let me live that down, are you?" she frowned.

Lee handed her the camcorder to put the batteries in. Moments later, she spoke, "Oh, god. Lee. You're gonna want to see this…" Carley handed him the camcorder in which on the screen, a video played.

"Oh shit…" Lee realized in horror.

On the camcorder, was a recording of the group. Whoever was recording this had been watching them. It showed a recording that had probably been from weeks ago, when they had started building the barricade that now fortified the motor inn. The footage was shaky and bad-quality. The majority of it was zoomed in on Clementine innocently doodling before cutting off to the next video.

The next video had probably been a mis-recording. It was portrayed upside down and apparently in a vehicle's seat. In the corner of the video, you could see a masked bandit approaching the speaker who Lee recognized to be Jolene. "JAKE, BART, LINDA and ALL YA'LL FUCKIN' SICKOS FROM THE SAVE-LOTS! THEY CALL YA'LL BANDITS! BUT YOU'RE FUCKING RAPIST MONSTERS—" before the audio from the video cut off as well as the footage to the next video.

How long had Jolene been watching them? The next video was of a recording that Lee recalled earlier this day. Approximately around the time that Ben had joined the gang. Jolene had zoomed in shakily on Clementine doodling again, "Oh darlin', baby. Look at you. Look. At. You. Oh, you need a mama, sweetheart. We won't let the, bandits get you, will we?" Clementine had gotten up from her drawing and approached Lee. Lee remembered the words, "How ya doing, Clementine?"

"Okay."

"Where's your hat?"

"I don't know. Can you help me find it?"

"Sure. When did you lose it?"

"I had it a couple days ago."

"I promise, if I find it, I'll let you know."

Jolene had continued her rant, "Y'all thinkin' you're safe, sittin' there actin' like things were the way they used to be." She flipped the camcorder to record on her face, showing her blemishes, "The dead don't kill their own. It's the living you gotta be afraid of… the people I used to call friends… The people who took… Don't worry, little girl. Badits got their eye on that dairy. As long as they keep getting food from them, you'll be safe."

"I promise."


	23. Chapter 23 Long Road Ahead

**Andy's Note: O: Woohoo~! Episode Three! We're slowly but surely making it there everyone! Ah, I want to write some chapters for 88 Keys but I'm having trouble with my writer's block and my perfectionist self. D: -inner conflict commence-  
**

**Ah well, I'm sure it'll pass. I can't wait until the break when I can write a bunch more. **

**I REALLY REALLY enjoyed writing this chapter! It didn't have too many passages of dialogue (unlike other intro chapters) and I could describe and write a whole ton! Yippee!**

**As always, enjoy and take the time the time to review or favourite or follow! (And if I give you readers this cookie, would you do all three? Haha, just kiddin'. You can take the cookie though.) I always appreciate the support!**

* * *

**The Walking Dead Episode 3/5**

Chapter 23

Days passed, seeming to drift away completely along with the harsher winds. Soon it would be winter. Most of them feigned ignorance and apathy to the dropping temperatures but deep down, they knew it was inevitable.

Time wasn't the only thing that faded. The group's moral was falling. Hand in hand with hunger, dread and paranoia had begun to accumulate in each of the members' hearts. But, they pressed on with their heads up. The incident at the farm would not pull them down. At least, that was what Lee intended to do.

The party had decided that in order to slow the process of supplies diminishing, they assigned Lee and Kenny to scavenge for whatever was remaining in the town of Macon. This would occur every once in a while. Lilly had instructed simply, "Sneak in. Gather. Sneak out." The task at hand seemed easy enough. In reality, it was a dangerous and nerve-wracking mission to sneak right into the heart of an enemy territory. However, it was better than sitting around until they starved to death.

Upon returning, Lilly would examine the gathered bundle and it could go two ways from that point. But they were back home. Or at least what they called home. Then, they would mull about with their lives at the motor inn until the next assigned day.

It was one of those days...

* * *

This had to be quick, before the walkers caught notice. Sneak in. Gather. Sneak out. Lee and Kenny ran along the streets of Macon, over discarded and torn pieces of what seemed to be newspaper headlines. This wasn't the first time they had been sent out on this mission but nevertheless, it never failed to keep the two on their toes. Trying to be quick and silent at the same time was proving to be difficult. They bent low, staying close to the wall as they rounded the sharp corner. Realizing the street seemed to be clear, they parted from the building's side and strode out into the middle. Lee and Kenny exchanged wary looks. It _looked_ safe enough out here. Hopefully that went for the inside of their goal.

The streets were silent, other than the occasional rustle of crumbled loose-leaf fluttering freely in the air. It reminded Lee of a desert town, except tumbleweeds were replaced by papers and the saloons replaced with pharmacies and what-not.

Kenny arched his eyebrow and the corners of his mouth perked up, "Looks like this is our lucky day."

Lee shrugged, but his face shared the smile.

"Well, let's just get to it then, shall we?"

Lee led the way, looking from side to side for growling predators. They walked up towards a boarded up building. It seemed the messy fortification just wasn't enough to subdue the living dead judging by the blood-stained and jagged shards of glass. Lee glanced up.

**TIM'S TOOLS & MORE**

Strewn about were thin posters advertising mega sales and big savings. Lee peered into the gaps between the demolished planks; Kenny covering his flank. Once he signaled that there was nothing useful for the taking inside, they continued on side by side down the empty and long-stretching road.

Kenny groaned, arching his back and rubbing it like an old man, "Mmph..man."

Lee glanced at him worryingly, "How's it doing now?"

"..Well, I've felt better."

"Any progress?"

"Yeah, doesn't hurt that much as before." Kenny changed the subject, "Lee, where do you come down on stayin' or goin'?"

It was obvious what he was getting at but he still inquired, "You mean, packing up the motel and getting in the RV?"

"Yeah. We've been talking about it, but you made up your mind yet?"

Lee thought deeply before sighing, "We should go. The motel's run its course and it's not safe."

"You're damn right it has. We pile into the RV and don't pull over 'til we see water. And if Lilly's deadset on staying…then, well, that's the way it's gonna be."

The pair marched forward, the destination in mind; Everett's Prescription. As they neared their goal, one could see that a catastrophe (No, we're not talking about walkers.) had fallen the drugstore. A rusty, faded and scratchy yellow and brown plane adorned with the bolder yellow numbers, **1099 **had crashed through the roof of the poor pharmacy, collapsing the top of it and leaving a large wreck. A large red letter _D_ had started to swing off its hinges to join the rest of its fellow letters on the ground somewhere. Lee supposed most of the lower exterior damage had been done in by the horde of walkers that had nearly taken their lives. A large supply truck had crashed into the side of the store, nestling deeply inside. There was another vehicle in front of the pharmacy. It was a dirty green-colored military jeep with a symbol on the door; a thin white ring and inside laid a white star.

"Okay, just like last time. Over the rig, into the pharmacy and scrape together whatever supplies are left." Kenny drilled, looking up at the rusty and near-its-end ladder that perched against the supplies truck.

"We didn't leave much in there." Lee remarked, "In fact, I'd be surprised if there was anything left."

"Hey, we're out of options. Somethin's better than nothin'." Kenny began to make his way to the metal rungs. He grouched in pain as he began to scale it. Lee stayed on guard. There was a clatter as Kenny bounced off the top rung onto the top of the truck. The top rung had snapped in two flimsy pieces and halfway unhinged off the vehicle, "Shit!" Kenny silently cussed.

"You okay?"

"The ladder's come loose. I'm not sure how many more trips she's got in her."

"I'm not sure how many more trips we've got in **_us_**_._" Lee countered and shrugged.

"No kiddin'."

Lee sauntered over to the ladder. He placed his hands upon the dangerous contraption. Even when putting only the slightest amount of pressure on it, he was able to wrench it off its remaining link and chuck it to the side. Lee shook his head in disappointment. Well, he definitely wasn't going up from there, "Looks like she's had it."

"What now?"

"I'll find another way up." Lee answered plainly.

"You do that. Better get a move-on. I'll watch the streets."

Lee looked around the surrounding debris for _anything_. He trot around, past a toppled barrel **(BARREL.) **and found himself in front of the military jeep. Like the sides of the doors, the front trunk shared the white symbol. Upon closer inspection of the grill, he recognized a winch and pulled on it, grunting. Kenny voiced his thoughts during Lee's effort, "Lilly's not doin' so good, huh. I mean, before…and now…it's a big change."

"Well, we killed her dad." Lee replied, slowing tugging the winch towards the supply truck.

"We did kill her dad." Kenny echoed numbly.

Lee finally reached the wheels of the supply truck, bending low to hook the winch onto the trailer axle of the large white vehicle. The hook clamped on tightly. He strode back towards the jeep, flicking on the winch control which curiously hung off the side. It whirred on loudly and Lee slightly panicked. Was it loud enough to attract the walkers? He hoped not. The cables between the two links shortened and straightened out as the machine began to pull them together. The small bits of debris on top of the green vehicle began to slide off.

"Clementine still upset with me for taking stuff out of that car last week?"

Lee thought about his answer, "What do you think?"

"Christ, I've heard your opinion too many times. What's done is done." He squinted, throwing his hand into the air for a second before dropping it back down to his side.

The vehicle pressed on, inching closer and closer to its linked partner. Lee followed behind like a pet dog. Then, the two transports collided with eachother with a loud crash before silencing completely. Making sure the winch wasn't going to turn on all of sudden again, Lee clambered onto the front truck, carefully placing his feet and not to slip. Kenny seemed to be pouring out a bunch of heart today, "Duck was asking about that guy at Hershel's farm last night."

"Really? I wasn't sure it had phased him." Lee arched his eyebrow, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Of course it did." Kenny looked back down at Lee.

"He'll get over it. Hershel's son is one of how many, now? We've all seen a lot worse." Lee shuddered slightly at the thought.

"Duck's a tough kid, ya know. Like I said, not much phases him, but…it's startin' to add up. The farm, the drugstore, the dairy…" He looked determined, "I need to get to the coast. Get him out of all this madness."

Kenny cautiously leaned over the side and roof of the supply truck, reaching out a hand to Lee.

Lee thought about Kenny's still recovering side wound, "…Uh, you sure you're up for this?"

"Lee, I'm fine. I've got this. Just gimme your hand." He smiled reassuringly.

"Well, here goes nothing." Lee raised his arm, placing it in Kenny's. After getting what he thought was a pretty good grip he clutched Kenny's forearm with his other hand and placed his legs on the side of the truck, attempting to scale up. Kenny's eyes widened with the effort, struggling to keep Lee airborne. The task proved to be too difficult as he winced in pain, "ARRG!" He let go of his hold on Lee.

"SHIT!" Lee gulped as he immediately flattened against the top of the green jeep with a deep smash. Lee felt the air knock out of him. The back of his head fractured the glass pane of the automobile's window. He felt dazed for a moment, his head and back feeling sore, before he snapped back to his senses and looked wildly shocked. Kenny looked down at him, his face resembling the expression. Uh oh. Kenny looked up at the street up ahead for any approaching walkers. After a commotion like this, there was _bound_ to be _something_ that could've heard them, right?

Kenny scanned the streets below him for any sign of the dead waking up. None. At least, none that he could see. He gasped, releasing a breath that he had not realized he had been holding. Kenny looked back down at Lee, giving him a silent and bewildered shake of his head.

"Jesus, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I should be asking that to **you**. Shit, I'm sorry, pal. I thought it'd be healed up better."

"You're lucky it wasn't any worse… You cou-" Suddenly there was a shrill wail that pierced the air. Kenny and Lee flinched, jerking their heads toward the sound.

It seemed to be coming from a woman, "**N-N-NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! GO AWAY! GO…G-GO AWAY! HELP ME! AGHHH! SOMEBODY HELP ME! OH GOD! OH GOD!" **She emerged clumsily out of the store at the far end corner. The woman was being chased by a lone walker which stalked her movements. She scampered around, before tripping and then quickly picking herself up to scream and run some more. The female was horribly disheveled, her hair in dire need of a wash, her clothing crumpled, soiled, and burnt. Her face portrayed the wild expression of bewilderness. Had Lee not been looking carefully, he would've assumed she was one of the dead herself. She continued to screech, drawing more walkers to crawl out of their hiding spots towards her. She seemed to have no sense of direction or goal, choosing to resume screaming and run around in circles or in areas where there were no apparent walkers.

"What the—what the hell is that?! A walker?"

"Walkers don't scream, do they?!"

"Jesus! I don't think so."

The woman's screams continued to echo throughout the town. Lee looked through the scope of his rifle to get a better look at the woman, "It's a girl! We have to help her." The woman was in the midst of barely escaping from her attacking and slowly nearing assailants.

"How?! There's no getting' to her!"

"We gotta do something!" Lee snapped back, looking through his scope again. It was too late for saving the girl. A crawling walker gripped her ankle and calf firmly and torn into it with its blackened teeth, emitting a hoarse wail from the woman. She jerked her leg away before continuing her deadly dance with the dead.

"Fuck, we gotta shoot her. Put her out of this misery."

Kenny shook his head solemnly and regretfully, "They don't know we're here!"

"What the hell do you mean?"

The yelps continued to bounce off.

"I mean, we leave her alive and she draws them all to her…buying us time."

"Ken…"

He didn't let Lee finish, "Think about it! We're always worryin' about the walkers we can't see –she stays alive and brings them all out of their damn holes!"

Lee turned towards the horrendous scene again. He heaved in, breathing deeply. He had to make another choice. Damn choices. Lee looked through the field of his gun. Shoot. Or Leave her. The chase was still pursuing. Once in a while, a walker would get close enough and attempt to claw at the woman who would resist and push them back momentarily, "**G-GO AWAY! GO AWAY! PLEASE!"** Lee fired a shot at the closest monster, but missed. Kenny commented angrily, "Fuck, man! You're not hitting anything!" Lee continued to shoot her assailers until Kenny cut in, "Knock it the fuck off!" He reached for Lee's raised arm, this time successfully helping Lee to escalate. As the horde slowly closed in on the woman, Lee gestured for Kenny to hurry. The two of them hopped off the top of the truck, entering the pharmacy through the back door.

* * *

Even from the inside of the building, the jarring cries were still easily and loudly audible. Kenny led the two to a room with many towering faded blue shelves.

"We should be good to clear this whole place out, but we ain't got all day." Kenny began heading down one row of the shelves, "Get everything you can outta these racks. And don't forget underneath the counter this time! I'll clear down here and then we gotta go!" Lee straightened a tilted shelf, revealing medicine and other goodies. His arm quickly swooped down to snatch them. Medicine boxes, supplies, energy bars, and more medicines went into his hands. He couldn't believe he had missed this jackpot last time. He circled, looking at what else there was. Then Lee realized that the yells of the woman were no longer sounding. Kenny had noticed this as well, "She's gone. There's not much time now." The two of them continued to ransack the shelves.

Most of the shelves had been emptied due to previous trips. Lee scurried about, looking for anything for the taking. After emptying one particularly large area of supplies, Lee stood up, "I think that's everything, Kenny!"

"That girl didn't die for nothin' then." Kenny remarked, walking past Lee towards a short shelf, "Up and over!" Lee realized the door Kenny had just passed by was being angrily pounded against by walkers. How they had caught wind of them, he didn't know. But there was no time to waste. _Up and over._ He echoed. "We're still clear, let's hustle." As Lee passed by the door to the office, it suddenly crackled ear-splittingly as it collapsed roughly onto his side. Several walkers fell along with it, scrambling about, "Kenny! HELP!" Kenny jogged over, and not a moment too soon. He quickly aided Lee in heaving the heavy weight off of him.

Ken raised his pistol, aiming but reluctant to burst off. He looked to the side, "FRIDGE!" Lee understood, quickly getting to his feet and pushing it over, knocking to its side and caving in a walker's skull. The door had been blocked. But for how long? Hopefully long enough. Kenny took out the walkers that had fallen along with the office door, "OUT! Let's fucking get out!" Lee chased after Kenny, before being confronted with a walker that equipped a pilot helmet. It must've been the poor bastard who'd somehow crashed into the roof.

The walker staggered towards him threateningly, its jaws snapping up and down. "AH!" Lee exclaimed, knocking it back with the butt of his rifle. It regained its composure, refocusing on Lee. He grunted, smashing against it again. Like it was sick of the constant shoving, the walker threw itself on Lee, only inches away from biting him if it were not for the gun that kept them apart. Lee resisted, continued to heave the thing off of him. He eventually successfully managed to thrust it away, impaling its chest against a protruding sharp spike. The monster seemed to not be affected by the pain but it could no longer move away from its trap.

Lee turned away from it. The walkers were past their barricades now, beginning to stumble closer and closer. Their expressions forever a hungry snarl. Kenny voiced, "Let's go, pal."

Kenny ducked into a large crack in the wall, uncannily and conveniently the rough size for a person to fit through. He disappeared out through the hole and onto the streets of Macon.

Lee looked back for the last time. It reminded him of the scene of when they first evacuated the drugstore. Only, things were more cluttered and destroyed and it was harder to tell what was what. His family's drugstore would never ever be the same. Discarding his final memories of the previously happy place, he stepped away from the advancing swarm. With a few moments left, Lee slipped out, following close behind Kenny.

_Sneak in. Gather. Sneak_ out. Check.


	24. Chapter 24

**Andy's Note: Yay, new chapter! (lol, short AN) You guys know the drill: read, review, uh.. ravorite, rollow. PERFECT. The four "R's."**

Chapter 24

It wasn't too difficult; navigating their way out from the grasps of downtown Macon. Most of the walkers had been drawn to the deceased siren-like woman, munching on her carcass. Once they had made it out of the swarming drugstore, it was smooth sailing from then on. They walked casually side by side. Kenny rhythmically swung the heavily stocked lavender and flower-decorated backpack at his waist.

As they neared their home: Travelier Motel, Lee noticed who was on watch. Ben. Ben's figure looked glum, slouched forward as if he were carrying a huge burden. He didn't move an inch even as the pair re-entered through the gates. The gates and other wooden fortification walls were riddled with arrows. _Damn bandits._ Lee muttered to himself under his breath. It was as Jolene on the video camera had said; _Bandits got their eye on that dairy. As long as they keep getting food from them, you'll be safe_. Ever since they had destroyed the walker-infested place, the people in the woods had started attacking them, soaring arrows above their heads. They never came too close though. Lee often wondered how many exactly of the bandits were there.

Lee wandered in, noting Clementine who was happily _pretend_ chatting away on her walkie-talkie. She looked adorable, babbling about random things that he couldn't make out the words of. Lee smiled. As he walked closer, she must've heard his footsteps or saw the two of them out of the corner of her eye as she lowered her portable communicator and pranced towards Lee and Kenny, "You're back." She raised her talkie, displaying the front side of it, "Ben found some stickers in a drawer and I put 'em on my walkie!" On the front were colorful stickers of flowers and suns.

Lee grinned sincerely, "Hey sweet pea. That's neat, I'll find you in a minute." She nodded and headed back to her corner willingly. Lee joined Kenny who knocked repeatedly on the door pane of Lilly's assigned room. She emerged quickly as if she had been expecting them. _Now all that's needed is for her to turn 180 degrees in a spinny chair…whatever those are called._ Lee thought.

Kenny commented on Ben's shift, "Looks like we got the kid on watch again." Ben's head perked up for a second at the sound of his name like a dog then sank back down sadly.

She ignored his remark, cutting to the chase, "What'd you get?"

Ken continued his rant, snorting, "Might as well leave a sign out that says, "the men are gone, come and rape our women and children."

"Ha." She rolled her eyes humorlessly and coldly. Lee handed the rifle to her which resulted in her placing it on her far dresser, "So…what did you get?"

"A lot of stuff." Lee answered simply.

Kenny handed her the light purple backpack in which she snatched gladly and immediately. He arched his eyebrow, "We're FINE by the way…" Lilly placed the sack on her messy bed, peering into its contents. The look on her face seemed to look pleased. Somewhat. She thanked them, "Nice work you two. This will keep us going." It seemed sincere enough, "If we carry on like this, we'll get through the winter here."

"_The winter?_ We'll freeze our asses if we stay here!" Kenny's eyes widened.

"Because piling into an RV with you two, after what you did to my dad, is SO appealing." She shot back.

"And why wouldn't it be? Y'know, I'll do whatever it takes to keep everyone here safe.

"We're already safe."

Kenny gestured to the defenses outside, "Take a look at the wall out there, Lilly. Those are graffiti. Those are BULLET HOLES. We've got enough arrow shafts stickin' out of the damn thing to dry laundry. And that's all beside the fact that Macon is busted at the seams with walkers."

Lee supported Kenny's opinion, "We have to go eventually, Lilly."

"We don't have to do anything." Lilly replied. She seemed calm at the moment. That could all change any second though.

Kenny continued, "You didn't want to go because of your dad's health…but he's gone now." Lilly's eyes narrowed at his statement.

"Easy, Kenny." Lee warned.

Katjaa and Carley, hearing the ritual commotion, sauntered over. Carley grimaced, "At it again, are we?"

"Can it, Carley." Kenny turned his head to her. She walked away but Katjaa stayed, worried for Kenny.

"Don't boss people around." Lilly frowned.

"Well, I'm sorry. But someone around here needs to start making executive decisions for the group though, and I just don't think you're capable anymore, Lilly." He looked down.

Lee cut in, "We're strongest together. It can't be you versus us all the time, Lilly. Look, we're sorry for what happened to your dad, but we're in this together now."

Kenny continued his argument. Lee had to admit, they were good points, "What about the food situation? What about protection? What about when this place falls? Somebody's gotta be thinking about this shit."

Lilly's voice began to falter, "How has this not been working? We have everything we need!"

"Because of me, Lilly."

"That's B.S., Kenny, and you know it.

"What about medicin-"

"What about medicine?" Lilly interrupted.

Kenny seemed to think for a moment, choosing his words, "…Do you know _how_ we got these supplies?" He arched his brow, lowering his tone, "We got lucky and let a girl get eaten out there."

Katjaa's eyes widened in horror, "What…?"

"Some girl. She came **screaming** out of an alley. She had dead hangin' all over her. She was the one who bought us enough time to get everything we could out of the drugstore." He explained.

Lilly was horrified at this new piece of information, "…You just let her suffer like, what, like bait? God, what is happening…"

Lee tried to explain and defend themselves, "It was a mistake. We got our supplies…but we should've at least tried to save her or put her out of her misery."

"Well, you had Kenny with you so **SOME** options were off the table." Lilly retorted.

Kenny reddened with slight anger, "You should be thanking Lee for not shooting that girl."

"It's not so EASY for him."

Carley strode by, catching Lilly's words and frowned and shot Lee a look that he could not understand meant. Was she angry?

"Look, Macon and its people aren't savable. It's not a town. It's FULL of walkers and the people who WERE left are dying and wandering out onto the streets."" Kenny continued, "It's hell on earth and it's coming this way."

Lilly snapped, raising her voice tremendously, "IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASIER OUT ON THE ROAD!" Lee's brow furrowed with worry.

Kenny put his hand on his hip, his voice steady but quiet," How would you know?"

"WHAT I KNOW? I know you're not above murder! I know somebody has been **STEALING** our supplies – that's right **STEALING** – and I know the list of people I can trust here gets **SMALLER. EVERY. DAY!**" She crossed her arms, facing angrily away from the door, "Now everyone GET OUT."

There was no other choice. Lilly would obviously accept no consoling from the members. They heeded her demand and turned away from the door. Kenny turned 180 degrees, looking at Lee as if he were expecting a response. Lee gave none, instead crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head regretfully.

Kenny spoke up instead, "Well, she's right about one thing. None of this is getting' any easier." Then he turned and stalked away, his wife following closely behind after giving Lee a sad look.

Carley filled the silence after, "Oof. Things are definitely coming to a head now."

"You could say that." He replied, before beginning to walk side by side with her.

"Well, I think you did good today. And I find myself thinking that most days." She smiled.

Lee's mood slightly improved at the compliment, "Thanks."

"It's probably worth following up with Lilly about what she was saying about missing supplies." Carley suggested, "With her wound up the way she is…well I just don't want see her paranoid."

"No question."

She arched her eyebrow before breaking into a polite smile, "And I'd like to talk, when you've got a minute or two."

He nodded, letting Carley depart on her way. Lee watched her head up the stairs step by step. Half way, she turned to glance at him before resuming. _Hmm… what could she want to talk to me about?_ Lee gazed for a second at the closed curtains of Lilly's room and considered following Carley's suggestion.

Carley now wore a thick and longer coat with a fur hood. It was some sort of shade that Lee could not recognize but nonetheless, it looked pleasant on her. Most of the group had new clothing now, either from the abandoned vehicle of supplies or from the spoils of supply hunting in Macon.

Over the time that Lee and Carley had spent together, their relationship had gone quite well. Lee found himself becoming more and more connected with Carley than he could with Kenny. Kenny was a good pal and all and he always had his back in cases of walkers, but they more than often had disagreements. Of course, Lee agreed with his idea of packing up and hittin' the road and that the motor inn just wasn't good enough anymore. Was it just friendship between Carley and him though? Lee often stayed up a little later than he should've thinking about that. Sure, he was drawn to the fight and kindness in her but…_Stop thinking, Lee._ He snapped himself back to reality.

He remembered his silent promise to Clementine to check up on her and headed her way. She was doodling on top of a large wooden paneling that they used for tables. Clementine used a thick and large piece of chalk and was creating something Lee had no idea what was but she might've called a masterpiece. Lee bent to her level, "Hey, Clementine."

"Hey, Lee." She chimed.

"What's that you're workin' on, Clem?" he pointed to the piece of loose-leaf.

She grinned, proudly presenting her art, "It's called a leaf rubbing. My teacher Miss Moore showed us how to do 'em when we went to the Botanical Garden once." She lifted her sheet, revealing the brown crumpled leaf underneath. Woah. "See? It's the same! Uhm, kind of."

"Wow, sweet pea. That's really something."

"I'll make one for you, too!"

Lee nodded, thankful for the offer. He watched her rub against the leaf's shape for a bit before asking something else, "Do you like it?"

"I don't LIKE it here."

"Do you want to leave?"

"Where are we going?" she shrugged.

"Somewhere else."

"I dunno. Maybe if I knew where?"

Lee agreed with her, "Yeah, that'd be a good thing to know. Well, I'll talk to you later then, Clem."

"Okay." Clem innocently beamed.

Leaving her to her work, Lee decided to go talk to Carley. He paced up the stairs, finding Carley leaning slightly over the balcony rails, deep in thought. Her eyes flickered as Lee neared, "Talk to Lilly yet?"

"No, not yet. But I will."

"That's a good thing. One of these days, Lilly's gonna go nuts. Or maybe Kenny. It's really frustrating with _those two_ fighting all the time."

"Yeah, they're almost like polar opposites. One wants one thing, the other wants the other."

"Could you imagine if they were combined?" Carley smirked.

"Huh, and who would that be? Kelly? Or maybe a Lenny?" They both chuckled, before it slowly faded out. If the others had noticed their joke, they'd hidden it well.

There was silence for a moment, as the two of them collected their thoughts and chose their words carefully. Carley broke the silence, "…What I wanted to say was, well, I've been thinking a lot. About you."

Lee blurted out the words before he could stop them, "I think about you too."

She gave him an awkward look and Lee felt like he had misunderstood completely about what she had meant. That wasn't going to be good at all. Then she smiled slightly and his worries faded, "Our group is small."

Lee smirked, "You're small."

Okay, she looked even more awkward now. Why? Why did he have to say that?

But then her expression changed to one of worry, confusing Lee, "You're a convicted killer." He didn't expect the words at all.

"Carley, Jesus…" he flinched, jerking back slightly.

She brushed aside his words, "And I think people should know. Not because they deserve to and not because you're a bad man. I think the opposite of those two things."

He frowned, silent. Carley took this as a cue to continue, "People need to know because we're hanging by a thread here and I just can't see Lilly talk about you without thinking it's the next thing she's gonna say." Lee looked down as he understood, "You don't have to tell everyone, but think about who you trust and take the opportunity while you have it."

"You're probably right." Lee sighed.

"Of course I'm probably right. People might be pissed. And telling them might cause some trouble, but it will be a far cry from what'll happen if they don't hear it from you."

"Yeah.." he frowned.

"So you'll do it then?" She pressed.

What choice did he have? Other than the fact that people might hate him and think of him as repulsive? It was like Carley had said, it was better to hear it now from him then later from some other source, "I'll let people know. You're totally right."

"Good. I think it's for the best."

All of a sudden, she smiled mischievously and leaned him to peck him on the cheek. Carley whispered in his ear, tickling him under her warm breath, "Don't call me small." Now how was one supposed to react to such a gesture?

He looked to the side, avoiding eye contact for a moment and remained silent.

"Now. Um, is there anything else you want to talk about?" Carley inquired.

"Do you feel safe here?"

"Show me a bath with a heated floor in a highrise apartment and hand me a full-bodied Malbec, and then I'll feel safe. Uh, I don't know, this place is fine but we all know that that could change any second. And not for the good."

He guessed there wasn't anything else to talk about, "I'm going to look into this thing."

"Good idea."

Lee strode back down the creaky steps. He thought about what Carley had mentioned. Tell certain people about his past.

The problem was: who?


	25. Chapter 25

**Andy's Note: Ah, sorry guys. I was going to write a chapter yesterday but I totally forgot about it…! The reason I want to upload a bunch of chapters right now is because it's a period of time when I have no homework and want to use my time to provide for readers! Remember, the four "R's" (read, review, ravourite, follow) Happy reading!**

Chapter 25

He immediately found himself walking towards the little girl drawing. _I obviously need to tell Clementine. If she's going to be in my care, she ought to know who I am…or was atleast._

"Clem, I need to talk to you for a second."

She peered up from her illustration, nodding, "Okie dokie!"

"How should I put this…well…" Lee gulped, "The day you and I first met, I was in a car accident."

Her face was no longer smiling, "I remember, your leg was bleeding."

Lee continued his story, "The car I was in was a police car…and I was on my way to jail for committing a crime."

The shock was evident on her face for a second, before she looked down, deep in thought. She didn't respond. Lee explained, "I need to tell you now because I don't want you to hear it any other way."

Her tone was sad but understanding, "Okay."

"Do you…have anything you want to say?"

Clem shook her head, "I don't think so."

"Well uh, you can go on back to your things."

Clementine didn't reply but the look on her face made Lee feel that she had understood and did not have a grudge or anything horrible like that for him. He let go a breath that he had not even realized that he had been holding the whole time.

Lee looked over to the couple sitting by the couch they have moved out recently. _I guess it's time for another round._ As he strode over, he noticed the anxious looks on their faces as they talked quietly between themselves. He wondered what was going on, "Hey you two, how are you doing?"

"We're okay." Katjaa replied softly.

"Just havin' a little spat." Kenny elaborated. Katjaa flicked her head back at Kenny with a strange look.

She explained her opinion, "We all carry guns now and, well, I don't like it."

Kenny frowned, "It's the way it's gotta be."

"I know…but I'm not getting used to it." She expressed in return before remembering Lee, "Oh, I'm sorry, how are you, Lee?"

Lee glanced at Kenny, "Kenny, you gotta second? I need to tell you something."

"Sure, pal. What d'ya got?" Kenny perked up, curiosity touching his features and tone. He stood from his seat on the couch, wandering to a farther and more private spot. Lee stood still for a moment, wondering how the heck he was going to explain this to Kenny and also a lot about how Kenny was going to react. Would he be angry? Would he not care? "_People might be pissed. And telling them might cause some trouble, but it will be a far cry from what'll happen if they don't hear it from you."_ Carley's voice rang out in his head. Yeah, it would be better to just get it over with. He followed behind, but not before noticing Carley observing him from the balcony. It was like silent encouragement.

"It's serious." Lee firstly began.

Kenny crossed his arms, "Oh no…what'd the _she-devil_ do to you?"

Lee would've laughed if it were a different situation, he said in a tone that told Kenny he was totally misunderstanding, "Shut up, man." He paused, thinking, "I was uh…on my way to prison three months ago."

Kenny's eyes widened to the size of two dinner plates, "No shit?" Lee could see Carley in the background, nudging him on.

"No shit."

His friend-in-arms' eyes were still huge. Kenny glanced down for a fraction of second before resuming eye contact, "It wasn't for touching kids, was it?" Out of all responses, Lee didn't expect this.

"Gah no way, come on, man...!"

"…What? I gotta ask!" Kenny defended; he seemed extremely flustered at the news.

"No!" Lee explained exasperatedly, "I killed a guy in a fight."

He looked strange for a second, glancing anywhere but Lee as the new information sunk in slowly. Then he broke out into a slight grin, "Hmm. Musta' been a real piece a' shit if you had to haul off and kill him."

"So we're straight then?"

"Lee, look at everything this mess has got us doin' now. I'm sorry you went through whatever you went through. Yeah, we're _"straight."_" Kenny paced away.

Lee couldn't help smiling. That went better than expected. Maybe he was such a pessimist to think that Kenny would hate him for life and never let his family go within a ten-mile radius from him. Or perhaps Kenny would give the signal and all of the group's members would brandish large and dangerous weapons; their target, himself. He brushed away such thoughts.

Lee looked away from his group, instead to the scarcely open door of Lilly's room. She had sent them out of frustration and anger but surely she'd calmed at least a bit down. Maybe it was time to tell her. His relationship with Lilly wasn't that horrible compared to Kenny's and her's. Ever since the meat locker incident it had slowly began to go down road. He'd hate to make the bond between them even more strained if she'd figured out that he was a killer from someone else. In fact, maybe she wouldn't even care and say that he was already a killer for plain-out being Kenny's accomplice. Still, he nudged the door open.

Lilly was sitting on the side of her still messy and not-made bed. Her head was placed down on her knees. Lee thought again about how he should begin. Should he just start like how he did with Kenny? Unfortunately for him, he never got the chance. At the sound of his arrival, she sat up, "I'm sorry."

Lee found himself conveniently in front of a small chair, falling back gently into it. He paused for a moment, rearranging his words, "You don't have to apologize."

"Did you come in here to give me hell or to coddle me?" she murmured.

"…" He didn't know what to say. Something in his look must've irked her.

"Look. You can take whatever "this" is and… I-I need your help." She poured out, "There's a traitor, somebody, one of us, out there. He or she or they have been taking our things."

No response. He looked down. What was he supposed to say?

"So you don't believe me." Lilly frowned.

Lee looked back up sadly but still didn't answer.

"Look…The count's off and it's the good stuff. Antibiotics, oxy, fuck, anything with opium in it."

He finally spoke up, "I see the count and it's fine."

She nodded, understanding the base of his claim, "I keep my own_. That one's_ getting messed with." Lilly grimaced, "I'm a fucking mess right now but I'm not stupid. I know what happens if I start a witch hunt."

Lee's brow furrowed, "So you want me to start one?"

"I want you to poke around."

He looked down, shaking his head. Lee wondered why he was still here but he decided to let her continue, "What's there to go on?"

Lilly reached down under her bed, confusing Lee. He naturally leaned closer to get a better look. She pulled out a bright yellow and familiar tool, handing it to him, "I found this tossed into the garbage." It was one of their flashlights. Shit. The lens was broken, and it was helluva task to fix one of these.

"Hmm." He grunted, examining it in his hands.

"We don't toss out equipment. We fix it. You'd only try to get rid of a flashlight if you were using it when you shouldn't."

"Seems like you're manufacturing this from nothing."

"Prove me wrong. Or I'll just assume it was you."

Well, shit. No choice now, was there? He nodded unwillingly, "I'll poke around…"

Lee left her room, creaking it back into place. On his face was a scowl. All of a sudden from a left was a high but male voice, "A mystery…!"

He jerked his head only to meet face to face with the eavesdropper in question. Duck. Duck's face held a goofy, impish, and sly smirk. It was a look that no doubt meant trouble. "Jesus, Duck!"

"I'm sorry…I heard you guys talking." The eavesdropper shrugged.

"Well you need to un-hear all of that."

As if Duck had not heard a single word that Lee had said, he ran up, tugging on his sleeve, "Can I help?"

"What did I **just** say?" Lee scolded.

Still not a word was paid attention to. It was as if Lee's words went through one ear and out the other ear. And as if it wasn't enough. The small boy began calling himself Robin, "You're the greatest detective and I can be Dick Grayson! Your ward…!"

Lee frowned, unable to find the words to speak.

"That's Robin." Duck explained matter-of-factly.

"…I _know_ who it is." Lee crossed his arms, displeased.

Duck peered up at him with begging puppy-eyes. Any second now a wagging tail would sprout and he'd start fetching sticks and Frisbees. Lee sighed deeply, uncrossing his arms, Fine…okay, you're Robin."

"Yeeees!" He cheered, clapping his hands together before placing his at his waist and puffing his chest out as best as he could. Ah well, he tried, "What do I do?"

"Uh, I-I don't know! Go look around. Let me know when you find anything…_weird._"

"I'm on the case!" Duck threw a fist into the air. He ran off, horribly humming Batman's theme song. Kids. Lee thought about Clementine. Duck and Clementine were quite different from eachother. Clementine was much more reserved and quite a bit mature for her age. But...in a way, they were similar. They had both still kept their innocence even through all the hell the whole group went through. Lee wished it could stay that way.

Lee shook his head before re-examining the large flashlight. Could it really be what'd Lilly had said? The flashlight seemed convincing. She was right about how they would try their best to be resource-efficient. He gazed at the broken lens, tracing the jagged, sharp gap's shape with his eyes.

Time to _poke around_.

**Andy's Note: Sorry for the short chapter this time around! Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Batman! Hope you enjoyed!  
**


	26. Chapter 26

**Andy's Note: Spring break is here! Awyis. Time to write a bunch of chapters for you lovely readers. What are you guys planning to do during the spring break? I'm going to write chapters and practice badminton. Since Pewdiepie in his LP doesn't even try to shoot the walker off of Duck, I made it seem as if Lee had to reload. Sorry for the inconvience! Four R's!**

Chapter 26

Lee decided it would be a good idea to ask around about the broken flashlight. He head over to his young charge, "Hey, Clementine."

"Hey, Lee!" she peered up at him under her fuzz of hair and purple cap. The notion looked so adorable and innocent that Lee just knew it couldn't be her. Could it?

"You didn't accidentally break a flashlight, did you?"

"No…did Duck say I did?" Clem frowned.

Duck? He wondered how the young boy's name had come up.

"No. Did Duck break the flashlight?"

Clementine explained, "No, I don't think so. He's just always _blaming_ me for stuff."

"Like what?" Lee's tone darkened unconsciously.

"Putting a bug on his pillow." She grimaced in disgust.

Oh.

He arched his brow, "Did you do that?"

Her grimace paused, before melting into a sly grin, "Yes."

Lee held back his giggle, plastering on a stoic and professional face, "Well, see you then, Clementine."

He walked over to the couple still on the couch, "Do you guys know anything about this broken flashlight?"

Kenny expressed, "Fuck, we don't got many of those."

Lee nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's a problem. The glass and the bulb inside are all busted out."

Katjaa added in helpfully, "I saw some broken glass over by the ice machine. I meant to clean it up before the kids hurt themselves when playing but…I forgot though."

"Thanks, I'll go check it out." It was a good opportunity to check for clues.

On the way to the ice machine, the teenager on watch caught his eye, "A flashlight was broken. Was it you?"

"No." Ben straightly replied.

"You're not in trouble if it was. I know you get nervous and maybe you went out to go to the bathroom, broke it, got worried and tossed it." Lee pressed.

Ben stumbled over his words, "What's with the third degree? I didn't break any flashlight."

It seemed suspicious, but Lee decided to trust him for now. He didn't have any proof against the boy anyway, "Okay then." He relented.

Lee sauntered over to the supposed area with supposed glass. Sure enough, by the fluorescent chalk doodles on the asphalt, there were shards of glass lying about. Lee carefully picked up the largest piece, examining its shape and placing it inside the flashlight's broken lens; fitting perfectly. So did the other pieces. Well, there was his first clue. Whoever had broken this flashlight had obviously not cleaned up after themselves.

He suddenly got a strange impulse to check out the wall on the other side. Lee placed a hand on the corner, taking a look. Unless he really was becoming the world's greatest detective; Batman, he had no idea how or why he check it in the first place. Gut feeling, he supposed. There was a quite large '**X**' that hadn't been there before. Lee squinted, scrutinizing the pink sign. He brushed against it with his index and middle finger, taking a powdery and soft material back with them. _Huh. Chalk._

Out of the blue, Duck popped out of nowhere, also examining the potential clue, "Pink. Hmm."

"Duck!" Lee scolded frustratingly.

"A clue!" He grinned, waving his finger in the air.

"Maybe."

"What do you think it is?" Duck's eyes grew wide with curiousity.

Lee took another look at the pink rubbed **X**, "I don't think it's anything."

Duck bent closer, cupping his mouth like one of those gossiping old women on television, "Maybe it's a sign…"

Lee had to admit, it sure did look like a sign, "It could be. It's pink chalk, which is _weird_."

'Robin' put on his superhero voice and professional pose that screamed out _I've got this._ "Okay, back to investigating! AWAY!"

As his sidekick sped off, Lee stared at a chalk drawing of an orange-y sun on the asphalt. He looked up, wondering if Clementine had anything to do with the pink sign. He made his way towards the young girl, "Hey, Clem."

"Hey, Lee."

"Do uh, you have any pink chalk?"

Clem frowned, shaking her head slightly, "No. It's gone somewhere…"

"Hmm."

She gestured with her eyes to the pile of thick chalk on the make-shift table, "How about blue?"

"No, no, it's okay. Thanks anyway." Lee refused politely as he stood up. Suddenly there was a tug at his sleeve, "Psst! Lee."

It was Duck, who signalled subtlety to follow. He headed to him. Duck reached into his back pocket and rummaged around for a second, "I found something."

"What?"

He pulled the _something_ in question out, "I found this piece of pink chalk and a scuff of it over by the gate!"

Lee's eyes perked up, "Really?"

"Totally!" he crowed triumphantly, "I was combing the scene for clues when—"

Lee interrupted, brushing his story off, "Yeah, yeah, Duck. I got it. Good job." As Lee paced towards the front gates or more like front dumpsters, Duck tagged along. Duck positioned himself between the gates and Lee, waving his hand in the air up high, expecting. The meaning was clear. The boy wanted a highfive. Unfortunately for him, Lee harshly denied his whims; leaving him hanging, instead, proceeding to dig into the scene. Duck dejectedly put his hand back down. He recovered fast however, posing heroically. Lee questioned him, "You didn't break the flashlight, did you Duck?"

"No…Mom and Dad won't let me touch ANY of their stuff. Lilly neither."

Lee looked at Duck strangely, "That's probably for the best…" he muttered under his breath.

He bent down, checking out the scuff of pink chalk that Duck had been talking about earlier. Lee pushed one of the gates aside slightly to get a better look of the evidence. It seemed to be the result of a fragment of the pink chalk being crushed by one of the wheels of the dumpsters and dragged, "Somebody was here as well."

"See, I did good, huh?" Duck nodded furiously.

"Yeah, Duck, you did." Lee congratulated sincerely, "I suppose I should go out there and have a look around. You stay here this time. Seriously."

"Okay." Duck shrugged.

Lee pulled open one of the motel's gates, not before having another glance at Duck to make sure he was staying true to his words. Satisfied, he crossed it. Lee examined the wooden board adjacent to the gate, _Those bandits gave us hell, but they've been quiet for days now._ Lee continued to walk along the motel fortress' boundaries, eventually coming along the side wall of one of the many rooms. The window had been shattered before the team had patched it crudely with a large plank of wood. Near the bottom of the wall, there was a grate. _There's something in there…?_ Lee bent down, gripping its bars with his hands and wrenching it off.

There was a bag. Roughly the size of one a kid would bring for lunch. But Lee knew it was unlikely for nutritious foods to be inside.

He reached for it carefully, peering in.

Lee's eyes widened.

_**The missing supplies. **_Son of a bitch…this wasn't good. Not at all.

* * *

Lee promptly returned from his mission to Lilly's room where he found her still in the same position as before, head down on her knees. At the sound of his arrival, she flicked her head up, "You haven't come up with anything, have you?"

"I came up with this." Lee reached into his pocket, pulling out the sack of stolen goods, "It's got a bunch of meds in it! It was in a grate on the outside wall and there's a sign on the other one."

"_Holy fuck_."

Lee crossed his arms in agreement, "Yeah."

"Okay. Here's the plan. We line everybody up. Everybody." Lee looked down at her sharp words. He had no doubt what she would do to the traitor. If it was one of them.

"Somebody is killing us. Stealing from that supply is the same as slipping into your room at night and cutting your throat while you sleep." It seemed like an exaggeration, "You die. What is the difference? What if Clementine gets sick and we don't have what we need –" Lilly stopped talking, squinting her eyes and peering out the gap in the curtain at something behind him. _What's going on?_

She suddenly exclaimed, "What the hell?" Lee also looked.

"**YOU DON'T FUCKING STEAL FROM US!" **A bandit's voice rang out.

"Who the fuck is that?!" Lee cried, "They've got our people out there." His observations were true, outside in the general middle-front area of the base, everybody had been lined up. It seemed ironic, considering what Lilly had said earlier. "**Y'ALL GONNA GET YOUR PEOPLE OUT HERE. WE AIN'T FUCKIN' AROUND NOW."**

"What do we do?!"

"Oh shit!" Lilly expressed, running towards her dresser and reaching for her rifle, "They're gonna start kicking in doors any second!"

"Lilly? What the hell are you-?"

"Stall them." She cut him off.

He couldn't believe what she had said, "What?"

"Just keep them talking." Lilly commanded, hopping out the back window of her room, "Do whatever it takes to stop him from pulling the damn trigger!"

"**YOU'VE JUST MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF YOUR LIVES!"**

Lee gulped, out of options, "Shit."

"**Enough of this bullshit! Drew, start putting your boot to these doors."**

"**Yeah!"**

Lee walked forward with his hands in the air, trying to calm down situation. In front of him, all of his group members sat on their knees, their hands held behind their heads high. Lee could see several of them shaking with fear.

"**Hold it asshole!"** The supposed leader of the bandits halted him. It was the same one they had seen in the forest fight before. He wore a white slogan shirt with a ash-grey ski mask covering his entire neck and head, not including the part where you could see his grey-blue eyes.

"Take it easy…"

The bandit didn't reply, a signal for Lee to continue, "We have more supplies. We can keep the deal going." If any of his mates were confused by his choice of words, they didn't show it.

"**Too late shithead! We ain't giving nobody second chances!"**

A small head at the opposite wall caught Lee's attention for a split second. It was Lilly's. What was she doing…?

"It-it was a mix-up! We'll make it worth your while."

"…**I'm listenin'."**

"We can split the supplies. Spread them around!"

"**Or we could just kill you and take 'em ALL."**

"And what about when they run out? When you don't have us out there collecting them for you?" Lee continued.

The bandit put his gun down by his side slowly, "**Well, I suppose we oughta hash out some terms then."**

The bandit to his right, a heavy-built man, who wore a brown baseball cap and dark shades spoke up. Half of the man's face was covered in a thick forest of hair, "**I don't like no hash!"**

The leader snapped his head to his right angrily, "**Man…! SHUT UP OR I'LL—" **All of a sudden, a large bang went off and a bullet found its home in his head. "Christ!" Another bandit said as his ringleader collapsed in a heap on the ground. That seemed to be the signal to utter chaos. Everybody began scrambling about, desperate to get out of there. The bandits were confused for a moment. They were mildly concerned for their fallen comrade, before recalling their escaping hostages. Lee looked about for the source of the gunfire, before laying eyes on Lilly who sneakily perched behind a wall with her rifle. Carley stood up quickly, grabbing the dead bandit's discarded weapon and firing at the closest bandits. Her first two shots hit directly, immediately putting them down. She was about to fire at the third one when there was an unsettling click of the empty round. Carley dashed out of there before anything else could happen. The third bandit who had got away was attempting to escape. Lee raised his sidearm, aiming at the heavily purple-cladded man. He fired, grazing the man's back. Unfortunately, the man was able to get back over the wall, falling onto his behind. The purple bandit whistled loudly and the bandits' ambushed ensued.

Bullets soared over Lee's heads, the bangs and booms of weapons firing. Lee ran for cover of the RV as two of the pursuers pushed opened the gates of their base.

"**Get back there! Smoke him out!"**

Ben, who had been hiding behind the couch, ran for the cover of the RV. As he made halfway, a bandit shot his rifle, nearly clipping him and hitting the far window to his right. He flew backwards, falling down and scrambling out of the way back towards his shelter frantically. Lee could hear him cursing to himself repeatedly, "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…!"

Kenny ran out of the room that had been shot through the window. He was brandishing his rifle, "We gotta get out of here!"

"No shit!" Lee retorted.

The same bandit continued to fire, attempting to take out Ben from behind the couch. Kenny looked over, "Get those damn bastards!" Kenny ordered, throwing the rifle to Lee, "Cover our people and get them to the RV!" Kenny ran towards the door of the RV, throwing it open and quickly stepping inside to get it ready. Lee called to Carley and Ben who hid, "Ben, stay down!" in which he replied, "Help! Jesus!"

Lee peered out from the RV's side, scoping in on the bandits which constantly peeked up to fire and ducked over and over again. "**Go around shit for brains! He's back there!" **Lee fired, piercing a bandit in the head. He saw another crawl over behind a large rectangular box and pulled the trigger, taking another down. Lee called towards Carley and Ben, "Now! Get over here! Hurry!" They reacted quickly, running as fast as their legs could carry them towards the RV. Ben stopped by the door to thank Lee graciously, "Man, you saved our asses!" "Get inside!" he replied. The vehicle shook slightly at the sudden increase of weight before settling once more.

Their right side gates had also been pushed, "**BEHIND THE RV!" **Lee heard someone shout. He could see Clementine, Katjaa and Duck hiding in the general area of the icemachine behind large wooden crate. Katjaa cried out to Lee, holding tightly onto her son, "Help!" "Katjaa! Hang on!" A bald bandit who had been firing at the three's hiding spot was suddenly taken down. But it wasn't Lee who had fired. It was a walker. In a desperate attempt to fight it off, he repeatedly and aimlessly fired his weapon, lighting the corner up. To no avail, the man's throat was torn apart by the walker's razor sharp teeth.

Oh shit. This. Was. Not. Good. The sound of the motel's crossfire had attracted the local dead. Any longer and the place would be inescapable. It looked like bandits weren't the only big problem at the moment. As it wasn't enough…!

"**Where is he?"**

"**He's hidin' behind that van! Get your asses around behind that thing!"**

Lee did his procedure, trying to remain calm. Shaky hands would not do for rifle shooting. He scoped in, pulling the trigger on a bandit who hid behind a barrel. Another one took his place and Lee fired again. Double kill. He flicked his scope around, looking for anybody else. He looked back towards the hiding trio and noticed a rugged bearded man attempting to crawl towards them. Lee grit his teeth angrily, firing. There was no other bandits attacking from that side and he ordered, "Katjaa, Clementine, Duck, hurry and come on!"

"Lee…!" Clementine rejoiced, running to her savior and giving him a tight hug. Lee briefly returned it before telling her, "Clem! Get inside the RV! It's gonna be okay. Go!" As if it couldn't get any worse, a walker stalked up behind Katjaa and Duck, throwing its self on them. Lee's eyes widened, raising his rifle at it. Shit! He had to reload…! Lee quickly fumbled, trying to reload it. Just in time, Kenny appeared at his side, firing his side arm at the head of the monster attacking them. It fell sickingly ontop of the two. Kenny flew by their side, helping them up. Lee called out to Lilly who was sharpshooting the left side's army of bandits, "Lilly! Get in the RV!"

Kenny burst, "Screw her! Let the bitch stay!" he ran back into the RV with his family. Carley watched as Kenny frustratingly attempt to turn on the engine of the vehicle. She looked out the side window, cursing as she spotted the oncoming walkers, "Shit!" She ran out of the RV, aiding Lee as they bought Kenny time. Carley took the left side of the vehicle. Lee ran to the right, firing at the staggering but slowly gaining walkers. _Come on…come on Kenny!_ He ran back and forth, taking out one or two at a time. Then there was a roar of the RV as it came to life. Hearing it, Carley dashed back inside. Lee followed her, stopping at the door to yell, "Lilly! Last chance! Get down here!"

Lilly heard him, looking back at the scene of the Travelier Motel. Walkers, bandits, gunfire. Destruction. There was no way to reclaim their home. Travelier Motel was lost, "Shit." She swore, running down the balcony's stairs.

Kenny began to drive, slamming the accelerator. The RV's wheels protested creakingly for a second, before beginning to move. Just in the nick of time, Lilly ran through the still-open door of the RV. Kenny steered, driving straight ahead and running over several walkers. He drove through the walls of Travelier Motel Fortress, taking them out almost easily with a loud crash and turning down the streets of Macon.

Lee glanced out the back window at their progressively disappearing overthrown home. He thought about what had happened that day.

It was…just plain horrible. How could've things gone so bad…so fast?


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

So they drove. Lee didn't know where the heck they were going but seeing as Kenny was the driver, it seemed like a good guess that they were headed to the coast. Lee and Lilly held onto whatever they could get a good grip on to prevent reckless movement, similar to as one would do on a filled bus. And as soon as the overrun motel they had once called 'home' had disappeared behind the sharp corner, the silence was broken, replaced by confusion and anger.

"KAT! Jesus, are you okay?!" Kenny half-yelled, trying to balance the task of driving and ensuring his family was safe.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" she reassured firmly, still holding onto her son in her lap.

Ben looked as if he were having a mental breakdown, he sat near the back with his head in his hands, "Oh shit, oh shit, oh—" Suddenly he stopped, and looked up at Lilly, "I'm sorry." Lee didn't understand what he was apologizing for.

"Everything's fine, Ben." Carley replied.

"What the hell are you talking about? Everything's NOT fine. We need to figure out now this happened." Lilly started, "We just lost everything."

"Well we're lucky as shit to have this RV!" Kenny commented.

"And, not to be cliché or corny or anything, but we still have eachother." Lee added.

"And nobody died." Carley concluded.

Kenny argued, "Kat's head is SPLIT OPEN!" He gestured with his head to the horribly bloody wound on his wife's forehead. Her cheek was stain with the flow of red liquid, "I'm fine!" she repeated.

Lilly ignored it all, "Somebody in here caused this."

The driver retorted, "Settle down back there; the bandits have had our numbers for weeks!"

"This is different." She looked Lee as if seeking his agreement and undying support, "Somebody was working with them. Whoever it was was slipping them our meds. They didn't get their last package, so they attacked."

"Calm down back there! That's nuts!"

Lilly continued her story, "Lee found a bag of supplies hidden outside the wall." The others looked at Lee to confirm. He shook his head regretfully, "It's true."

Then Lilly snapped her head up and looked at the RV's occupants, eyeing each of them like a hungry vulture, "So, Carley, is there something you want to say?"

Carley's brow furrowed deeply and she scoffed, "Please." Lee couldn't believe that it was her. It was Carley! Why should she steal medicine? And it didn't make sense if she had told Lee to confess to his past secrets that she would hide hers.

"We have to get it out of you then?" Lilly pressed.

"Back. Off."

Lilly snorted slightly, "You're in NO position to make demands."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're just pointing fingers here!"

Lee stood up for her, "Carley's trustworthy. She's not a traitor, Lilly."

"Thank you, Lee."

Lilly stared at Lee, "She can fight her own battles. Unless…there's something going on here that implicates you both."

"Don't be ridiculous." Carley shook her head, frowning once more.

The air in the RV was becoming tenser and more uncomfortable by the second. Lee felt anxious, looking from side to side even though he was innocent. Everybody else seemed to share the same experience. Ben suggested hesitantly, "Like, look, maybe we should, uh…vote or something like that!"

"Vote?! What." Lilly's eyes widened with utter disbelief.

"Just, look! Carley is, uh stand-up kinda gal and maybe, maybe this was all just a mistake."

The 'stand-up kinda gal' cut in, "We need to look at the facts. Let's calm down, we'll eat, and then we'll deal with it."

Lee tried to calm Lilly down, "Let's just let it go. People make mistakes and yeah, this is a fucking doozy, but, it's not worth it, Lilly."

"Then what do we NOT forgive? Honestly, tell me. Kenny can fucking kill my dad; Carley can steal from us? Where's the line?!"

"Nobody was stealing ANYTHING!" Ben tried to persuade, crossing his arms even tighter.

"Was it both of you?" Lilly leaned in closer, staring into Ben's blue eyes.

He jerked his head back, "WHAT?"

"I've seen you two together. Was it both of you?" Lee couldn't believe Lilly was claiming things based on facts like this. Just because they were seen together, they were suspects? Lee was with Carley before, he was with Ben before, the next thing you'd know, she'd be saying that she saw the _whole_ group together and it was some ploy. Lilly was losing it.

"Look, just let me out. I didn't do it, but, I don't like this; I don't like where it's headed." Ben shook his head frantically, looking from Carley, Lee, and then back to Lilly.

She leaned in even closer. Lee could imagine her playing the bad cop of a Good Cop, Bad Cop game very well, "Look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't have anything to do with it."

Carley interrupted, trying to help Ben, "Lilly, lay off of him."

Ben gulped, his face showing extreme panic and confusion, "I—"

All of a sudden, there was a large _wham_ from the front of the vehicle as the RV collided with something. Everybody shifted their heads, momentarily distracted from the overwhelming and troubling topic at hand. The RV kept driving. There was sharp, scratchy noise as the rammed object became lodged between the wheels of their get-away vehicle."Shit!" Kenny swore, losing slight control of the RV for a moment. "What's going on up there?" Lilly yelled from the back worriedly.

"I hit something." Kenny said matter-of-factly, "We gotta stop." He began slowing the large vehicle down, turning to a stop on the side of the road.

Lilly leaned in back towards Ben, "All right, well, we can deal with this now, then."

As they finally came to a stop, Lee let go of his grip on one of the many up top cabinets, "Kenny, is it safe?"

"Should be."

Lilly ordered, "Everybody out."

"Lilly…" Lee frowned. This was not going to end well.

"Out!" Lilly commanded, walking past Lee and down the few steps. The rest of them followed out. Kenny exited through his side door to examine the damage. They looked around warily for any signs of the dead. There was a faint croak of a walker coming from under the RV. _So that's what we'd hit_, Lee thought. It almost sounded as if the lodged walker was crying out of pain instead of the usual groan for flesh. Lilly bent down, carefully taking a look at the trapped thing. It wiggled its legs weakly and aimlessly. She got back up, "Kenny, the RV has some surface damage but there's a walker trapped underneath."

Kenny crouched to validate it, "God dammit. Everyone, keep your eyes peeled."

Leaving Kenny to solve the undead problem, Lilly continued her persecution-like interrogation, "You know what, we shouldn't just kick you out, we should hear what everybody thinks."

Ben flailed his hands down, "I think you should chill out!"

Carley shouted, "I'm NOT gonna take this. You can push Ben around but you're not going to push me around!"

"Well, I'm really sorry you feel that way." Lilly crossed her arms over her chest, "I'm starting to think maybe it was both of you."

Lee defended, "There's no way it was Carley. It was somebody else. It could've even been someone sneaking into our camp."

"That's ridiculous. That's what you actually think?" Lilly spat.

"Yes." He frowned in return.

"Okay, fine then." Lilly gave up on Lee's support, "Kenny?"

Kenny peered up from his work in front of the RV's grill, "I don't know! Fuck! Just, stop, would ya?!"

"Well your vote counts for you and Katjaa." She replied.

Ben screamed, beginning to lose his cool, or at least what was left of it before, "We don't need all these VOTES! What do I have to do for you to TRUST me? I'll do _ANYTHING! _I'll-I'll do watches for a month!"

"Hah. The hell you will!" Lilly laughed in his face.

"I'll get more food! More medicine! ANYTHING!"

Lee interrupted his hysterics, "Stop panicking! Seriously Ben, you need to stop and just take a breath."

Lilly looked back at Lee angrily, "Do we need any more evidence than this?!"

"Fuck EVIDENCE! Stop treating him like this." Carley spoke up.

"Shut up, Carley, UGH, I've heard enough out of you." She looked back in Kenny's direction, "Kenny! What's it going to be?"

"Just..give me a damn minute!" Kenny barked.

"Ben, you have until that walker is dealt with to tell me it was her and not you!" Lilly continued.

Carley attempted to defend him, "Stop this. You're torturing him!"

"NO..!" Ben tried to refuse before being cut off again by Lilly's snarl, "BEN!"

"Stop!" Carley repeated.

Lilly grimaced frustratingly at Carley before turning back towards Ben, "This is all about trust and I've NEVER trusted you."

"Tell her, just do it, Ben." Lee couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

Carley reacted negatively to his mistake, "Lee! Jesus, wha-who are you right now?!"

"Tell her what?! She'll kick me out of the group!" Ben responded to his accidental suggestion.

He tried to reassure the hysterical teen, "We won't. We'll understand."

"Tell me. Now." Lilly grit her teeth.

Then there was the loud rumble from the front of the RV as Kenny dislodged the walker, "There. I got 'im."

Ben pleaded, "Please…let's just get back into the RV."

"That's not happening." Lilly snapped back.

That's when Carley spoke her mind, "You think you're some tough bitch, don't you? Like nothing at all can hurt you, but in reality, you're just a scared little girl on the inside. Get the fuck over it and grow up." Lilly glared daggers at her. If looks could kill… Carley continued, "Take a page from Lee's book and try helping somebody for a change."

Then there was splattering and crunch of bones and brain from the result of Kenny stomping roughly on its skull. Everybody turned to look. Lee felt Lilly subtlety reach behind her back. Kenny joined the party, "Now what the fuck's the problem?" Carley began looking back towards the center of the group when there was an ear-splitting bang and blinding flash.

Then there was Carley's unmoving body; on the ground submerged in an already deep sea of that color. Yes, red.

**AN: NOOOOOOOOOO! Carley! Damn. What a waste. (No, I'm not a cannibal.) There was too much dialogue for this chapter! Hopefully in the next chapter or two there will be bunch more to talk about. Thanks everyone for taking the time to review and read my writing! I really love it and it brings my mood sky-rocketing up. If it was an RPG or something, they'd be like potions to my health and mana. (:C, yeah, I'm a loser. Haha) See you guys next chapter! **


	28. Chapter 28

**Andy's Note: Damn, bunch of textwalls here. Blast them away with your lazer beam eyes! Pewpewpew! Reader used Eye Lazer! It's super effective!**

Chapter 28

Carley's red-splattered body hit the muddy ground. Similarly, Lee's heart plummeted. He blinked incomprehensively, wondering and hoping this was all just a bad dream; that he would wake up anytime now and he would be back at the Travelier Motel with everyone. His vision went blurry and he realized that he was starting to tear up. Everybody stared at the fresh corpse. Lilly's eyes also went to her victim, her breath heavy and unsteady. Lee could see that her hand was shaking from what she had done. It was getting harder to breath.

..Why? Why? Why? WHY? _WHY…?!_ He thought, snarling as he pinned Lilly's body against the RV's side, shaking the vehicle and rattling the gun. Lee trapped her arms, more so the one holding the cursed weapon, "Drop it!" he half-whispered, half-screamed in her face. Lilly looked dazed. She weakly tilted her head to the side, making sure she still could still at least control her hand. Her hand limply released the pistol and it fell loosely to the side. Kenny, Ben, and Clementine stood by their murdered comrade's body. "Holy fuck…" Kenny murmured. Ben bent down to see if there was any hope. Any trace of a flicker of life inside the woman's body. Katjaa cried from her passenger seat, hearing the commotion, "Kenny! What's happening?!"

He responded quickly, "Keep Duck away from the windows! Jesus CHRIST!" Kenny joined Ben's opposite side, also checking. Clementine stood on the lowest step of the door, silently mourning as she gazed at Carley. Kenny suddenly stood, going to Lee and Lilly's position, "GET IN. We're leaving this crazy bitch!"

Lilly spoke under her breath, "She couldn't be trusted, Lee. I swear. Please."

Ben looked up from his crouched form, "What are we going to do with her…?"

"Leave her for the walkers." Kenny answered plainly. With the loud noise that Lilly's gun had produced, there was no doubt going to be trouble lurking in the treacherous growth. There were only two choices really, to either let her come with them or to _leave her for the walkers._ Lee's decision was almost easy in his mood right now. How could he let the killer of Carley just be allowed to live? It was sick. Back in the meat locker with Kenny and Lilly and Larry…no that was different. Larry was dead. There was no coming back from a heart attack as severe as that and there was no medicine at the time! It was different. Carley was murdered in plain cold blood. Larry was killed for the sake of the group. He pushed himself off of her, "You're not coming with us."

Her face fell, "I'll die out here."

Lee bent down to scoop up Lilly's dropped weapon. He almost cringed at the touch of the thing that killed _her, _"I don't care." He replied calmly and coldy. Now, without a weapon to defend herself, it made her chances of survival even nuller.

Kenny spoke up for Lee's lack of words, "You're a murderer, Lilly. We can't have you with us."

"I'm a murderer?! You've had Lee with you this whole time!" She revealed.

"I don't care what he did before." He snapped back.

The surprise was clear on her face, "You know?" Her expression remained the same as she looked frantically around.

"Yeah, he told me. And I don't give a shit. If we keep you with us, how long until you get ME?"

"…I was trying to protect _all_ of us…" The deep silence of the two men cued her to continue, "I don't have anything left…"

Kenny stared at her strangely, before ignoring her completely, "Get in, Lee. Let's go you guys."

Lilly looked up sadly. It was saddest Lee had ever seen her look, even more than when her father died. If she was looking for pity from him, then she wasn't going to get any. He couldn't forgive her. She watched as Ben re-entered the RV. Lee stood for a few seconds, scrutinizing Lilly. Then he shook his head and started back up the steps. He stole a quick glance at Carley's corpse, before sighing and closing the door. Kenny started the engine. There was the sound of a walker finally starting to approach the area as they began to drive off. Lee looked through the thin cracks between the blinds of the back window. Lilly got off the side of the road and stood in the middle of it, watching them go. Perhaps she could even see him watching her. Suddenly she spun, realizing the walker's presence and took off, running towards the woods. Her form barely became visible as the RV drove and drove. She was gone.

A voice from the front of the RV called to him, interrupting his thoughts, breaking the silence and lifting up the suffocating atmosphere of their mobile shelter, "Lee? A word please?" It was Katjaa. There was a feeling in her tone that made Lee feel uneasy. As if he couldn't feel worse. Before he went to Katjaa, he turned to Clementine, concerned for the young girl. She had seen the same things as him, but for a young kid like her, it could do some fucked up damage, "You okay?"

She ignored his question, quietly answering, "Katjaa needs you for something."

Lee made his way to the front of the RV, holding onto the side for balance, "What's up?" he solemnly asked. He could see Katjaa's expression in the mirror. Or more like, the lack of it. She looked over to Kenny who glanced back silently. They certainly did not look like bearers of good news. Lee stared at Duck who leaned into Katjaa's lap, he didn't twitch a muscle, "Is Duck feeling all right…?"

Katjaa didn't need to reply with words. She robotically moved her hand down towards the hem of Duck's shirt. She raised it. Lee felt stunned.

There was a purple, round, bruise-like wound on Duck's waist. Lee knew with no doubt that this was no bruise. Etched around its circumference were red marks that upon closer inspection revealed to definitely be teeth marks. Human teeth marks. "What the fuck…" Lee whispered in horror. It was like that time back outside the drugstore where Duck had been pursued and pushed down by a walker. Luckily, the walker had been killed and Duck managed to get away physically well but it seemed that his luck had not carried onto today's assault.

"Happened during the raid." Kenny explained quietly, his eyes focused steady on the road up ahead. Lee recalled the walker that had attacked the two of them. He felt guilty and somewhat believed it was his fault for immediately shooting the monster off of them.

"What's the plan? We've never had a bite victim in the group before."

Katjaa responded, "I'm…going to keep an eye on him and see what I can do, from a medical perspective."

Kenny continued, "We keep the same plan unless something changes. East."

It seemed like risky and those plans seemed far-fetched. Duck looked pale and his face looked hollow and thin, "Guys…" Lee started before being interrupted by Katjaa, "What else is there to do?! We thought you should know."

Kenny took his eyes slowly off the road, turning to look at Lee, "Important to stay honest with each other." He sadly remarked.

Katjaa murmured, "Anyway, if you could tell Clementine…we would appreciate it."

Lee nodded solemnly, turning to Clementine who sat on the brown, fabric, built-in sofa with her knees up against her side. She looked down, lost in her thoughts. At the back, he could see that Ben sitting at the far back table with his head in his hands. He looked visually depressed with the recent occurrences. Lee couldn't blame him. Lee sat down next to the girl on the couch. She leaned into towards him and he put his arm protectively around her small form. Lee looked down at the young girl. It was hard enough to tell her that her friend was bitten. She was already sad. Lee felt adverse to the idea of making her even feel worse. But it had to be done. He plainly spoke, "Duck is bit."

She looked up, confused, "Huh?"

"He got bit by a walker trying to escape the motel."

Clementine looked back down, "I…don't feel good…" Lee didn't know what to say. She continued, "What about Carley?"

"Gone. But won't come back."

"'Cause she was shot in the head."

"That's right. It's…horrible."

"Yeah, it is."

There was a moment of silence, as they thought of their losses, mourning them.

Lilly was gone. Lee couldn't lie. At first he'd somewhat respected Lilly's courage to attempt to lead the group to safety. He guessed that that courage and strong resolve had slowly begun to crack and dissolve into a shallow cry from what it had once been. It had been destroyed by it all. This hell they were all in now. Lee vaguely recalled the words of the police officer that had been driving him to prison. He found that they perfectly fit for Lilly and perhaps the rest of the group. _It goes to show, people will up and go mad when they believe their life is over._ And the apocalypse had ruined their lives. Taken it and merely stomped on it to smithereens. Maybe he was part of the reason she had snapped. Kenny too. He and Kenny had put down her father, the only thing she had left. He could understand why she had said those words earlier. Lee didn't want to pity her because of Carley but…it was…difficult. They all needed a break from it all. Lilly included.

Lilly was gone. Just like Carley. Despite her strange personality, Lee had admired her morals. He couldn't remember if he had even thanked Carley for saving them back outside the pharmacy. Without her, (and Glenn of course) they would've never made it out of there alive. Then she had agreed to keep his secret of being Lee Everett the Convicted from the others. Carley had helped him out a lot, not including the drugstore, there was the countless of times during the three months they had holed up at the motel, the time during the fight with Andrew, and recently when she told him to tell people about his secret. If he hadn't, Lilly would've revealed it all and everybody would probably hate him for it. Truly, he was thankful.

But…she was gone; left to bleed out on the cold, muddy, wet ground. There had been no time for a proper burial or even time to mourn. His heart ached. Maybe he did like her. Probably. He guessed he liked her smile and the way she could stand up for herself. That's was probably one of the reasons why he was so angry. Okay fine, maybe the biggest reason.

Lilly was gone. Just like Carley. Just like their home; the Travelier Motel. Even though it was often uncomfortable to go on about life in their make-shift home, they had somehow managed. Everyone was grateful though and didn't complain much except for Kenny who vowed to head to the coast. But even he couldn't deny that that place was their own little haven that could protect them slightly from the dangers of the undead world. There were those days that Lee would wake up in his firm bed and wonder, where is this? This isn't my home. What the hell? It would then hit him, and he would remember that it wasn't a dream. This is reality and you'd better get used to it. Then the whole process of readjusting to it would repeat. And it was true; the Travelier Motel wasn't his home. It wasn't his home with its TV, radio, stove, refrigerator, internet, and all those other little things. But it was now. Well, at least then. But what about now? Now that his home was destroyed, when everything was teared down by bandits and walkers…Where was his home? Where was his little haven? Lee didn't know.

Lilly was gone. Just like Carley. Just like their home. And it was all taken away by this new world. Now, this world was going to take away the son of Kenny and his beloved wife Katjaa; Duck. Lee had to admit, he'd thought Duck to be quite the troublesome little kid. He didn't belong in this world. He didn't deserve it. Duck was just a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky, (and maybe a bit dumb) kid. He couldn't hate Duck though. When it had been Lee's turn to stand on watch at evening, Lee had admired the playful chalk drawings that had been done by the two kids in the group. Clementine would often draw pictures of suns and smiles while Duck preferred to draw superheroes and action. On one particular day, he had discovered a drawing. He could tell it was Duck's because of that unique way Duck colored things in; in many dots. Portrayed on one side of the drawing was a massive horde of what appeared to be hungry, chasing walkers. On the other side were the crudely-drawn figures of the group. In the middle, separating the walkers and the group were Kenny and Lee. They were drawn in a way that obviously suggested protection for the group. Below this drawing was another drawing of Kenny and Lee wearing super hero costumes. Kenny was Superman. Lee was Batman. There was another figure in the drawing though. It was Duck, wearing the costume of a sidekick. Lee perceived the drawing as a sign of admiration and found himself chuckling at it.

In a past life, a long time ago from this new one, Lee would often find himself looking in the mirror, pinching at his face and staring at the wrinkles on his skins. Those wrinkles would become even more deepened by the frown on his face. He felt like his time and youth was ticking away. But now, for Duck, even for a little kid like him who was not even half Lee's age, time seemed to be fading from him. Tick. Tick. Tick. The steady drops of water accented the time and also told Lee that time was not only passing but running out. Tick-drip. Tick-drip. Could there be a cure? There could be, but Katjaa was just a veterinarian, not a professional doctor. Tick-drip. Tick-drip. So they would be going east until there was a change. But…wasn't this a change in the plan? Two members gone and a bite victim in the midst? If that wasn't a change, then Lee didn't know what was. Tick-drip. Tick-drip.

Lee looked down at the little girl in his arms, wondering. She had been through worse. Clementine had told him more about the beginning of this all, because he had missed it during the time of the police car crash. Although he had missed it, he believed himself luckier than if he hadn't. Apparently, Lee had gathered that he had been in the police car from the crash for three days, falling in and out of consciousness. That would explain why he had been life-threateningly dehydrated when he'd woken up. Then, all that had happened. But Clementine, she had stuck out those three miserable and horrifying days on her own, in her treehouse. It seemed like a silly idea, living in a treehouse for three days. Lee wondered how she'd managed it. What about food? What about water? She must've heard the screams of her neighbours as they opened their doors to be greeted by the hungry jaws of the dead. Three whole days. Alone. Lee wondered what would've happened if he hadn't found her and shuddered at the idea. Now she was here with the group, still bent on the idea of finding her parents. Lee remembered the answering machine back in her house, the sound of her mother's voice on the verge of tears. It didn't seem likely that her parents were still alive but he would never say it out loud to her. It was a horrible experience for Lee to realize that his family were dead, but for a little girl like Clementine? Clementine was strong. There was no doubt about that.

"I'm glad I have you." Lee spoke up.

"Me too." She smiled, then she started her story, "I heard you outside my treehouse that day and thought about dropping a hammer on your head."

"Hm? Why?" Lee smirked despite the conditions.

"In case you were up to no good." Clem explained, "Before you, there was this other guy. He was yelling a lot and trying to get into my house. He wanted to take the TV and tried to break the glass door with a rock. Then some walkers came and scared him away."

Lee frowned at the idea before suddenly smiling, "The door was open."

"He was dumb." She grinned.

Then the silence returned, but it was welcomed and seemed a bit more comfortable. Clementine closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Lee looked around in the RV. There was the constant _drip drip drip drip_ of water from the sink. Ben sat depressingly while Ken and Katjaa drove on silently into the night. Duck's legs twitched and Lee worried for a moment.

All of a sudden, there was a quiet moaning sound that increased in volume. The little girl in his arms suddenly snapped back up and threw herself on Lee, snapping her jaws up and down, trying to get a bite, "Clem! FUCK!" He raised his arms, desperately and confusingly trying to push her off, "What the fuck happened?!" Did she get bit as well?! Is that why she said she wasn't feeling well? Even if she was a tiny little undead girl, Lee was having a hard time keeping her off his throat. Then, he lost his grip and she closed in, bringing her mouth to his throat.

He could almost feel her sharp teeth biting into him when Lee jerked awake. He gasped, heaving deeply as he looked around his surroundings. No hungry little, undead girls apparently. It was all just a dream. Lee had apparently fallen asleep along with Clementine. He looked down at his dozing young charge. She smiled in her sleep, hopefully dreaming about a place better than this. He slowly shifted his position, placing her sleeping form gently onto the couch. Light peeking in through the gaps of the shades seeped into the RV, creating interesting patterns on the walls and floor. Lee made his way towards the family in the front, checking up on the situation. They had apparently been driving throughout the whole night. Lee could see the tiredness in the eyes of both of them.

Kenny cursed, "Dammit, road's blocked." The RV slowly came to a stop, "Now we gotta deal with this..."


	29. Chapter 29

**Andy's Note: Haha, train time! watch?v=hHkKJfcBXcw**

**I'M SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE. I DON'T EVEN…WHAT IS THIS. D:**

Chapter 29

The RV stopped in its tracks, parking in front of a train that had derailed in a collision. Several cars lay around it in different piles; they had been battered away by the train. Lee pushed open the RV's door, stepping outside and taking a deep breath. Ben and Kenny followed suit. He walked towards the train crossing. What now? The train lay directly on their lane, making a messy cross as it taunted them. Lee shifted his eyes towards the surrounding shrubbery, wondering if they could maneuver around it somehow.

As if reading his mind, Ben voiced, lightly crossed his arms, "Is there any way to get around it?"

"Doesn't look like it. On foot, maybe. Can't really afford to do that now." Kenny sighed.

Lee carefully scrutinized the scenery, looking from side to side before reporting his observations, "This seems like a safe area. All this brush around here will stop anything from creeping up on us." The others nodded, taking note.

Clementine stepped curiously off the RV. Along with everyone else, she frowned as she watched Katjaa help her friend struggle onto his feet, his knees buckling. When Duck found his point of balance, the three of them began to walk towards a nearby corner which held conveniently placed logs, resembling a campfire square which was missing its key feature: the warm fire.

Ben turned his attention away from the scene to Lee, "Why don't you and I go look around?"

Lee agreed, "Yeah, good idea. Everyone else relax. Clem, you stay close to Kenny and Kat, got it?" Clementine nodded in response to his request.

Katjaa spoke softly, "Lee, if you come across anything to drink, if there's a dining car or something like that. I think Duck's a bit dehydrated."

"It's a freighter, hon." Kenny corrected her, before turning to Lee, "Be careful in there."

"What, you think there might be something dangerous inside of an abandoned locomotive? Hadn't crossed my mind." Lee replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Lee found Ben leaning over the linked area of the train. He thought about the way Lilly had pushed him around like a ragdoll back there, "What would you have done with Lilly?"

"I don't know…left her? I've never seen anybody…_kill_ someone like that before." He shivered at the thought.

"You've seen a bunch of other stuff by now."

Ben looked down, muffling his voice, "Yeah, but not like that."

Lee was still curious, "Was it you?"

"Not this _again_…" Ben grit his teeth defensively.

"Was it?"

"NO." he denied, sounding offended.

"Okay, okay." Lee relented, his voice soft like a lion tamer, "You, uh, happy you stayed with us all this time?"

Ben's face melted into a smile, "Yeah!"

"Really?"

"It's with you guys or…dead." He quickly explained himself, "I woulda died out there in the woods, just like my classmates."

"Well you think this is better?" Lee leaned in intimidatingly.

Ben leaned away from his approach, "Yeah, of course."

Having nothing else to say for the moment, Lee decided to begin checking out the red boxcar. Outside of the locomotive seemed fine at first glance. The box car was red…or was it maroon? It looked as if there were previously white stripes but they were worn out from the years of work and were not covered in smothering dirt. The paint was chipped and it was rusty to touch. Lee peered in through the vertical window of the boxcar's door, making sure the coast was clear. It opened with a _creaaaaaaak_ that made Lee cringe. Stupid pet-peeves.

Upon entering the boxcar, the first thing Lee noticed was the amount of objects taking up the whole of one side of the boxcar.

The ground was blanketed with papers along with a long but thin dirt-colored mattress. There were also a large number of boxes that were positioned to resemble furniture. A blue and small recycling bin had been turned upside and positioned next to the mattress to act as a sort of bedside. Up top on this bin was a water-bottle. To the north of the mattress was a lawn chair that looked so frail that it would surely collapse if a blond girl named Goldilocks were to sit on it. A larger crate with the text SHOE OUTLET was adjacent to the chair to serve its user as a table. Lee stepped closer to get an ever better look. As he got closer, the larger boxcar door to his left slid open loudly and he could see Ben. Ben turned his attention to the crude living space, "Woah."

"Woah indeed. Somebody's been living in here."

Ben kicked up onto the boxcar's floor, towering over Lee, "Yeah, man. Shit. Think they're gone?"

"I hope so, but this looks recently used." Lee murmured worriedly, "Be on the look-out and have your guard up."

Lee bent down, looking over the disarrayed area. A clipboard caught his eye and he scooped it up. _A map of where the train goes._ He thought, examining it. _I think these tracks might lead to the coast. Route 27, Savannah. That's where Kenny's got us headed._ He pocketed the map. Remembering the water bottle, Lee grabbed it. _I'll take this to Katjaa for Duck._ Not finding anything else interesting, Lee exited through the door he had come through. Ben was back between the links, leaning over onto them. He still seemed to carry the effects of last night with him. Lee leapt over from the platform to the platform across like a schoolkid, catching himself on the rails. _Now what do we have over here..._

He walked along the side of the train, before coming to a number of engine compartments along its wall. Eenie, meenie, miney, mo. He opened up the second one, discovering a set of worker's tools perching along the doors opposite side. A spike remover, a spanner, and a monkey wrench. He held each tool in his hand, testing its weight. Lee decided on the monkey wrench, bouncing it on his palm and grinning. This would be perfect for walker-killin' and it would be good in a time for tools. He closed the compartment's doors, moving on to the next. Lee opened it up, revealing nothing and he shook his head, reclosing it. He went back to the first compartment. Lee pried open the doors. Inside seemed to be some sort of machinery. To the side of the machinery was a set of buttons probably needed to work the train. Under the buttons was a number "9" that had been neatly etched in. He twisted one of the buttons, testing it. Nothing. Same as the third compartment, the fourth also held nothing.

Lee made his way towards the train's cab. Immediately, his hand went for the door before he catching himself._ Don't get ahead of yourself, Lee…_ He bent his head down to peer through the translucent, dirty glass. There was somebody or something in there in the train driver seat. "Shit." Lee cursed. It was loud enough that Ben heard him, curiously peeking from his leaned position and heading to Lee's back. Lee examined the body, making sure his eyes weren't tricking him. He turned to Ben, whispering, "We got one." Ben leaned closer and Lee continued, "Walker. Sitting in the chair. We got 'im."

He didn't even consider using his pistol to shoot it through the glass because of the noise. The monkey wrench would have to do. He replaced his hand on the handle, pulling the door open. The thing didn't react to the noise. Lee got closer, smashing it in the head with his wrench. It fell over onto the control panel with a slump. Ben breathed a sigh of relief.

"Suppose we ought to look him over." Lee spoke.

"Yeah."

Lee got closer, holding his breath from the putrid stench. He lifted the engineer by the arms, throwing him to the ground with a weak thump. It was a man. Was. He didn't look as if he had ever showed the physical features of a walker. In front of the carcass was a large breakage of glass and dried, brown blood dripping from its shattered edges. Part of his face was caved in from a large impact, presumably from the window.

"I don't think this guy came back…" Ben said, leaning in closer to take a better look.

"Christ…" A light caught Lee's attention. It was one of the numerous buttons on the front of the control panel. It was flashing orange. "That light is blinking."

"Push it!" Ben urged, his face lighting up with another one of his strange ideas.

"…Push it?" Lee blinked blankly at what he had just heard from the boy's mouth.

"Yeah, why not?" He encouraged.

"Are you fucking serious?"

Ben jumped forward, taking matters into his own hands, "Here, look." He jabbed at the button.

All of a sudden the area around them was enveloped in the loud sizzle and hiss from the outside of the train. Kenny looked up from his duty of watching the rest of the group. Then his face melted into a satisfactory smirk.

The teenager was giddy at his work, "It's just the brakes."

Lee eyed Ben strangely, before sighing with a smile on his face, "Okay, I'll give you that one."

Kenny suddenly materialized behind them at the door, spooking the two of them, "This fucker _WORKS_?"

"Seems like it." Lee crossed his arms.

"Well I'll be damned." Kenny threw himself into the driver's fluorescent orange seat, rolling it into place with his feet, "How the hell do we get it movin'?"

"I don't know." Lee gestured to Ben as he peered over his shoulder, "Ask Mister Amtrak over here."

Ben looked up from dragging out the engineer's body to the front of the train,"No clue."

Lee pulled the map from his pocket, handing it to him, "We found this in the boxcar back there."

Kenny turned to pace around the small room while examining it. Lee didn't have to see his face to hear the disbelief in his voice, "Whoa…is this what it looks like?"

"I think so."

"This hoss will take us right to Savannah. A hundred tons of steel! Put a thousand walkers between us and the ocean and we don't have to give a shit! I can't believe it…" Kenny gasped, blinking several times to see if it truly wasn't a dream.

"What about Duck?" Lee thought out loud.

He was frowning no doubt, "What about him?"

"We can't act like nothin' happened to him." Lee crossed his arms defensively.

"We can't act like he's dead either." Kenny turned suddenly to stare directly into Lee's eyes.

"Okay. Fair enough." He relented.

"Try to get this thing started. There's gotta be some sort of…manual or somethin'."

"Ha, I don't know about that." Lee snorted lightly.

"That's the spirit." Kenny seemed to be perked up again.

Ben entered through the front, finished with disposing of the dead body. Kenny looked up from his seat, "Ben, if you could keep an eye on the girls and Duck, I'd really appreciate it. I'm going to make sense of these controls."

Ben seemed disappointed, stuck with babysitting again. He didn't reply as he drifted out the door. As he closed the door behind him, Kenny spoke up again, "Man, this could be exactly what we need."

"Hey, Ken."

"What's up?"

"You…want to talk about Duck? I'm really sorry, Kenny. Nobody deserves this."

"There's nothing to talk about. You heard Kat, he could be fine." He was in the process of the five stages of grief. Stage one: denial.

"We probably shouldn't ignore…"

"Nobody's ignoring nothin'. I'm not worried, you shouldn't be either.

He seemed dead-set at the moment. Lee would bring it up later, at a different time. He decided to talk about the train instead, "God, we need some help getting this train going."

"People take notes, right, when working on stuff like this? We're smart guys, we can figure this out."

"I'll get back to it then."

"Me too."

Lee noticed a pouch to Kenny's right. In the pouch contained maps about Georgia's cities. Nothing about the train however. Above the map was a family picture; probably of the dead engineer's. He continued to look around for anything. Suddenly his gaze fell upon a notepad. It read, _Engine Startup_. "Shit, this is it! Instructions on starting the engine!" He bent down towards it, "Damn. Pages are gone." and upon closer inspection, "I can kinda see the indentations from the writing."

He continued to explore the room. In the corner of the room was the spilled contents of the train driver's lunch, rotten and disgusting with the progress of three months. _Ugh._

There was a large console that dominated the majority of the far wall. Switches, levers, whatchamacallits, thingamajigs, occupied it. It would take forever to just guess what to do with them. Lee decided to go explore outside the train cab. He noticed the rest of the group resting on the logs and considered checking up on them. He went up to Clementine, thinking maybe she could have something useful to their task, "There's a notepad on the train. Do you have any pencils or anything in your pack we could use?"

"No. I _wish_. Maybe in the RV? What do you need it for?"

"There used to be something written on that notepad that we need to know about."

"Well, if you're not using it, I'd take it. I'm out of paper and there are all sorts of new leaves around here to draw!" she beamed with opportunity. Lee smiled.

He remembered the bottled water he had taken from the home in the train boxcar and looked over to Duck and Katjaa who sat in silence, "Here, I found some water." Lee handed the plastic drink.

"Ah, thank you. That's perfect." She looked up to him thankfully. Suddenly she murmured to herself, "He's allergic to bees."

"Huh? Is that right?" Lee arched his brow.

Her voice broke a little, "It's all I can keep thinking about. Like _somehow_ that matters."

"It doesn't. "

"I know. Well…I don't. But you're…you're probably right."

Lee glanced over his shoulder at the glooming teenager. Ben had graciously surrendered seats on one of the two logs to the others. He looked pale and deep in thought. Lee considered talking to him right now but decided against it. Ben looked like he was fighting some sort of internal battle. Lee resumed his search. He marched towards the boxcar's side, noting the 'one hell of a mess' of large cylinders.

He clambered onto the floor of the boxcar and hopping off onto the other end of it. There wasn't much area to roam. A large amount of debris restricted his front, forcing him to turn to the left. Upon walking a few feet to the left, he reached the coupler bar and pin of the train which held it in place. He reached for his monkey wrench and attempted to pry the coupler pin out. "Urrrrgh. It's stuck." He backed away from his position, "I can definitely pry this thing free, if I can break it loose first."

He reached towards the coupler bar, turning it. "Shit. Broken. I'll have to find another way."

There didn't seem to be anything else he could do there. He'd come back later. Lee swiftly hopped back into boxcar and back out the other side. This time, he'd try the front of the train. He strode against the side of the train, finally finding himself at the cow catcher of the train. "It's in pretty good shape for a wreck." He noted curiously to himself.

Jammed between the trunk of tree and the side of the cowcatcher was a green, smashed car. Inside, Lee could see _something_ resting on the passenger side as if taking a nap. Its head leaned over the front of the glove compartment. As he narrowed his eyes and drew closer, the walker suddenly shot forward,"WAH!" he cringed away. The thing had scared the living bejesus out of him. So much for naps… Luckily for Lee, the walker was pulled back by the seatbelt.

It struggled furiously but uselessly against its restraints, eager for a bite at Lee. The car shook with its efforts. Lee recovered himself from the latest scare and carefully scooted up closer to the car door. Through the shattered window, he could clearly see the walker. Lee noted the seatbelt that had probably saved him from a chomping. He looked up and down at the walker and the seatbelt before shaking his head. "I thought those things were designed to save lives."

Underneath the passenger dashboard and nestling by the walker's trapped legs was a container of animal crackers. Lee considered his chances of winning the tug-of-war with the walker. No way. It was too loud to use the pistol to Lee's dismay. He would have to get up, as much as he didn't like the idea of it, nice and close. Lee's eyes noticed the car door and his eyes lit up with a plan. He opened the car door, closing and then proceeding to open it again a few times, testing it out. "This door's gonna hurt."

He bent down low until he was right size to fit into the car. "Okay…you aren't gonna like this…" he spoke to the walker who obviously didn't respond other than the "GRAHMAGHGRAG." Lee's hand shot forward, pinning one of the walker's wrist to the car seat while his other hand rapidly unlocked the seatbelt, releasing the monster.

It reacted quickly, falling to its side from the sudden lack of support and continuing its pursuit towards Lee. He waited. Lee would have to time it perfectly or the consequences were dire. As whatever remains of its bloody hand reached towards Lee's thigh, Lee took action. He slammed the car door on its head, dislocating one of its grey eyes and jaw. It halted its crawl, slumping over the end of the seat. Lee flung the door again. The walker's face or what used to be a face was a heck of a lot smaller than before now.

Maybe it was for good measure, or maybe it was for revenge for the jumpscare earlier but Lee definitely found himself feeling a whole lot better. He reached behind the walker's dangling carcass, feeling disgusted at the three-month stench, _And now for…_ he thought victoriously and yoinked the box of crackers.

Lee sighed. The things he would do for a pack of snacks these days…

**Andy's Note: What would you do for a pack of snacks?**


	30. Chapter 30

**Andy's Note: Hey everyone. It's summer break time and it's ****_scorching_**** hot outside and bigass mosquitoes flying everywhere. I've recently signed up for a Japanese class and I get to start it in September. :D Have you guys heard about what's going on in Calgary and some parts around it? I live in Calgary and there's been this big flood that hit. Luckily I live uphill so nothing bad happened here but this summer is one that Calgarians are probably not going to forget for a while. I also got the Top Student of the Grade Award at my school! Next year I hope I get it again so I can hold the status of Top Student of the Grade for three years in a row! Wish me luck! I hope you guys have a wonderful summer! Time to work on this story! Let's do this! Remember the 4Rs! Read, review, ravourite, and rollow. :p**

Chapter 30

Lee turned away from the mess he had made, curiously glancing at the nutritional values on the side of the box he had obtained. It was unhealthy, but who really cared now? Food was food. He advanced on towards Katjaa and Duck, who looked up (Well, mainly just Katjaa.) after he slightly shook the box to get their attention, "Here. I found these crackers, if Duck's up for it."

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you, Lee." Katjaa smiled earnestly, "He isn't fussy, you know?"

"What?" he arched his eyebrow inquiringly.

She continued, "Most kids, they're really fussy about what they'll eat. Hate and refuse to eat vegetables, that sort of thing."

"Not Duck, huh?" Lee smiled with mirth.

Katjaa shared his expression, before continuing her praise of her son, "No. The most trouble I'd ever had is making him use a fork instead of his hands. Thank you, Lee."

"Sure." Lee nodded, returning to his other duties.

Lee glanced over at his young charge who sat solemnly to herself, lost in thought. She had said that there might've been a pencil in RV. With his next destination in mind, he moved on.

Pulling himself through the RV's door, Lee began his search. He turned to his left first, noting a faded pink laptop with several Barbie stickers placed on the table. The battery was probably long dead. And even if there was some battery life, what would they use it for? Finding nothing else of any significant usefulness, Lee checked out the front of the RV.

Clementine's speculations had been right; there was a pencil lying abandoned in the cup holder. Lee scooped it up, smirking with satisfaction. Great, now they could progress with trying to get the train moving! Leaping out of the RV from the top step like an eager little school kid, Lee didn't waste time, heading straight towards the front of the train. He yanked the door open a little bit too roughly, alerting Kenny of his presence. Kenny spun around in his chair like he had been expecting him, "Hey, Lee, anything new?"

"Found a pencil." Lee said plainly, offering no further explanation. There didn't seem to be a need for anymore. He proceeded to pick up the hanging sketchpad, and roughly scribbled across the whole page.

Lee mentally did a happy dance. In faint but still visible scrawl and doodles, were the instructions to starting up the engine. Idiot-proof, was a term Kenny might've used to describe them. The pictures described the turnings and flips of switches which were clearly marked on the side accordingly to the symbols on the console before him.

**6. Small switch down twice, large switch up twice, up down up.**

Mere seconds after completing this first pattern of flips and whatnots, Kenny exclaimed with joy, "Son of a bitch, whatever you did lit the dash up!"

"So far so good."

**5. First switch turned horizontally, second switch turned vertically.**

The formerly red light besides these two switches turned green. "Now we're talkin'." Kenny looked over his shoulder. Lee grinned, looking back down at the notepad.

**9. Turn left then turn right.**

Lee looked back up, scanning the console for the section labelled number **9.** Realizing that the console only went up to **8**, he continued his search outside, guessing that section **9** was probably one of the engine compartments. Finding the compartment he desired, he pulled it open, revealing the bar of switches on the side. _Okay, first turn left…then turn right…_

In response (to Lee's relief)to the successful and complete activation of the instructions on the notepad, the train began to vibrate, letting out a mechanical hum. Lee began to close the engine compartment's door, only to jump slightly when he realized Kenny had been standing right behind it, concealed. Not noticing, Kenny began his joyous banter, "Holy shit, we're golden!"

Lee didn't really want to ruin the moment but they couldn't just ignore it, "What about Duck?"

Kenny's demeanor visibly became cold, "What about him?"

"Look, Kenny. It's something we're going to have to deal with."

"Did you not hear Kat, Lee? We don't know shit! He could get better…he will." Kenny snapped, "Let's fucking enjoy this." Kenny looked out towards the forests and beyond, seeming to feel better, "Come on, let's see if she'll move."

Lee had to admit, despite Duck's obvious problem, the train being used as transportation was idyllic. The walkers wouldn't stand a chance against a moving locomotive. He proceeded to follow after Kenny into the cab.

By the time he had entered the cab, Kenny had firmly planted himself right back into the train's chair. He gestured with a slight smirk to the controls, "It's all yours." Lee came in closer to the controls and Kenny leaned outwards obligingly. Putting his hand on what he was sure was the throttle, Lee pulled the lever. Lee could feel the train beginning its course when all of a sudden it was jerked back into position, along with its occupants.

"Damn it!" Kenny sighed, disappointment evident on his features, only to be replaced with bitter realization. With a controlled expression, he shook his head, "Of course. We're still attached. Can you go find where we're stuck, and get us UN-stuck?"

"Yeah." Lee uttered. (Maybe he was getting a bit cranky but shouldn't Kenny do something once in a while?)

In no apparent hurry, Lee sauntered towards the coupler pin which was keeping them from proceeding forwards with the train. With a grunt, Lee pried the coupler pin off with the tool he had found. After being free from its grasp, the pin eased off. Lee called to the front of the train, "Hey Kenny, we're loose!"

They were done. Now they could _finally_ get a move on with the train. Lee hopped back into the boxcar. He glanced back at the crude home. What if the person who lived here came back and realized that their home had just left, possibly miles away? He considered telling the others to wait and see if anyone was going to be coming home to this when all of a sudden, "You touch any of my stuff?" a deep voice announced from behind.

Lee jerked his head sharply, only to come face to face with a scruffy man. The man appeared old but the dirt covering his features seemed to accent his age. He wore a dark-beige coloured jacket overtop a rust-brown shirt. His cargo pants matched his outfit with a tree brown shade. All in all, he was pretty filthy. In a distant life, Lee and perhaps the rest of the society would've probably judged him as a hobo. But nowadays…weren't they all homeless? The disarrayed man came closer, narrowing his eyes at Lee as Lee backed up. "I didn't take anything." Lee lied.

"I asked if you touched it." the man spat.

"I didn't."

The disheveled man turned his body towards his area of the train, putting his arms on his waist. He seemed to believe Lee, "I guess it's no worse for wear." He turned back to face Lee, "Name's Chuck. Charles if you're fancy."

"Lee."

"That your crew outside?"

"..Yeah." Lee cautiously answered.

"And the guy up in the cab?"

"Him too."

Chuck's voice took on a lighter tone, seeming to have finished with his more important questions, "I saw you walking through here and thought about scaring the pants off of you."

"What?" Lee bewilderingly replied quickly.

"But…I couldn't force myself to do it." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Lee arched his eyebrow for a moment before admitting, "You're still kinda freaking me out."

"Train folk'll do that." he looked into Lee's eyes, "Already met everyone outside; they all warmed to me right quick in direct sunlight." Chuck hopped off the platform of the boxcar, joining the crew by the logs. Lee followed along, still unsure of what to make of Chuck. Clementine rose at the sight of Lee, "You met Chuck!"

"Yeah… I did."

Katjaa sighed, "It's so nice to meet someone normal for a change."

Clementine turned back to Lee, "He gave us candy. Ben, too!"

Lee glanced at Ben who had perked up at the sound of name. He was happily munching a popular brand of chocolate. His expression matched one of a frightened deer, looking around awkwardly as if he had done something wrong.

Chuck got up from his place on the log. Lee hesitated, "What's your game, man?"

"Keepin' alive."

"…That's not bad."

Chuck smiled contently, "I like it."

"You met Kenny?"

"Sure did. Man shares my love of the road." He sat back down next to his guitar on the log.

"That's for certain."

Duck suddenly started hacking, quivering in Katjaa's arms. She gently pat her son on the back.

Chuck got back up, bending down in front of Katjaa and Duck, "I'm awfully sorry your son's not feeling good."

"I appreciate your concern."

"Well, with a little TLC I'm sure he'll be fit as a fiddle in no time." He got back up as Kenny rejoined the gang, "And I can offer ya'll whatever I got, although it ain't much."

"Thank you… we'd like to do the same."

Kenny stepped forward towards Chuck, still not that trusting of him, "Why don't we hold off on…"

His wife interrupted, "Stay with us, we'd like the company."

Chuck placed himself back onto the log next to Clementine, picking up his guitar and beginning to strum a pleasant tune.

Lee walked towards Katjaa, bending down, "How's Duck?" he asked with concern.

She gave no immediate reply, instead looking down with worry at the worryingly-pale boy in her arms, "I don't know. Tired. Which could mean a lot of things, right?"

"Yeah. His body is probably fighting whatever is in it."

"Exactly." She agreed glumly and stiffly.

It was obvious that she didn't want to continue the topic on Duck's diminishing health so Lee changed the topic, "Would you have left Lilly back there? On the side of the road like that…"

"Yes, Lee." She replied without a break. Lee was surprised by the usually kind and caring woman's quick answer.

"Yeah?"

"We have to have lines. Yes. I would've left her."

Lee looked down for a moment, "Okay then."

He knew he wasn't the only one affected by the loss of two members and possibly a future third one, "Has Clementine said anything to you about Carley…Duck, or anything? I'm worried about her."

"No." Katjaa replied with a sigh, looking off to the side, "That little girl is a puzzle."

"Yeah, she is…"

"Poor Carley. God, where did yesterday go?" It was hard to believe that everything had gone to shit just the day before. It just went by so fast…

"…I don't know."

There was a pause, as the woman in front of him chose her words carefully, "…Are you okay? I know you were fond of her."

"I was. This isn't the right time for, you know, romance, but yeah… I was fond of her, yeah." He answered solemnly, "Anyway, let me know if anything changes here."

She nodded, before turning her attention to Duck who slightly shivered in her arms.

Deciding to check up on Clementine, Lee strode over, squatting back down, "Hey sweet pea."

Clem looked up at him, smiling sweetly.

Careful to keep his voice down (particularly away from the ears of the man playing the guitar beside them), he whispered worryingly, "That candy Chuck gave you…it taste okay?"

She looked curious at his question, "It was really good."

"No funny aftertaste?" he pressed.

"No…?" Clem assured, starting to understand what he was getting at.

He quickly changed topics, "Train's cool, huh?"

"I guess." She agreed, before adding, "Scary, kind of."

"Well, I'll talk to you later then, alright?"

She smiled again, before nodding.

Lee spotted Kenny examining the under workings of the train before heading over. Kenny turned at the sound of him, "So that's it? We're cut loose?"

"Seems that way, yeah."

"Great." He exclaimed before pulling Lee along to inform the group, "We don't got much left, so just gather whatever you have. Let's go."

Ben and Clementine ran ahead like eager puppies, taking the lead. Kenny focused his gaze on Chuck, "Want a ride?"

"Well, it sounds like you're taking my home." Chuck said dryly.

"That's a yes then."

"Haven't found anything better for keeping the creepy-crawlies out than that boxcar." Chuck gestured with his thumb before climbing on board.

Clementine waddled shyly towards Lee, "Duck's sick."

Overhearing, Kenny frowned, "Get on the train, Clementine."

Katjaa was next in line, carrying Duck over her front, "He's getting sicker."

"Let me look at him." Kenny exasperatingly sighed, leaning in closer. Duck's pale, empty and hollowed face stared back, causing Kenny to go silent and step back, his eyes wide.

Lee spoke up, "Is the train really a good idea, with Duck like that…? Maybe we should focus on one thing at a time."

"YES. What can we _do_ _here?"_ Kenny snapped, "We get on the train and we find something better. THAT is the plan."

Katjaa defended Lee, "I think Lee just wants to talk it through."

"It's TALKED THROUGH!" Kenny barked, "Get on, Kat. I'll be up front. I don't want hear any nonsense until we get where we're goin'." He turned and stormed angrily away.

Lee and Katjaa exchanged worried looks before she conceded and carefully entered the train.

He walked towards the front, entering the cab where Kenny sat patiently. _It's all yours._ Lee could almost hear him say. Lee leaned forward, once again pulled the throttle. This time, the train would work.

The train let out a low hissing whistle, gently easing forward. Lee and Kenny exchanged a victorious and proud glance before turning their gazes forward again. Out of the corner of his eye, a look of sadness replaced Kenny's usual grin.

They were moving forward. Away to somewhere better, they hoped.


	31. Chapter 31

**Andy's Note: Hello readers! I don't know exactly why but I really enjoyed writing this chapter, even though it's a sad part… I originally planned to upload this chapter along with Chapter 30 but had no time to. (Sorry!) Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 31

The train was loud.

Maybe too loud.

However, these numbing worries escaped Lee's mind, being replaced with more important matters as the locomotive raced forward, passing by unsuspecting walkers (and over some). The conversation was minimal if not at all with the heavy atmosphere of illness and incoming death. Lee and Chuck stood by the dangerously open boxcar door, staring silently at the browning and forest that fell behind. There was no way to tell of the passing time other than looking out into the sky.

Chuck broke the unbearable silence, "Got to be hard on ya, eh? Three adults taking care of three kids." Ben glared at the back of his head, "No disrespect, son."

"There were more of us."

"Dead get'em?"

"Yes." Lee lied, not sure exactly why he did.

"Shame."

"LEE!" Katjaa cried. Duck was coughing out blood, quivering in extreme pain. Some of the blood dripped off his face, leaving a messy splatter on the side of his cheek. It was becoming clearer that he was losing his internal battle, "Lee. I need you. Right now. I need you to go get Ken."

"What's.."

She cut him off, "Would you get that off his face? My hands are full here."

He obliged, picking up the neatly folded rag by Katjaa's legs.

"Thank you. Could you just get that off of his face, please?"

Lee shuffled closer on his knees, carefully wiping the dark-red liquid on his face. Even through the thin cloth, Lee could feel how cold Duck was. How much time was left for him?

As if hearing his thoughts, in a small panicky voice Katjaa spoke up, "He's out of time. We need to stop this train."

"Okay." Lee mumbled.

"Please." She begged.

He had to somehow convince Kenny to stop this train. Duck was out of time and he could turn any moment. Lee couldn't let that risk the group. Nor Clementine. Kenny had the parental love for his child that Lee had never gotten around to experiencing with his own wife. It was obvious that no matter what persuasion the group had given him before the train started, Kenny would not listen to any of it. What would he listen to? Losing the motor inn, two members of the team and now Kenny's very own child being taken away from him. It was clear that it would be more than just _difficult_ to convince him otherwise.

Lee opened the door to the front cab. Kenny's posture was tense and the unwelcoming feeling was almost tangible. Kenny made no effort to greet him as Lee stood by the still-ajar door. Stepping into the cab, Lee got straight to the point, "You need to stop the train."

Kenny slightly turned in his seat, silently glaring daggers at Lee to "_leave him the fuck alone_" before turning back.

"I said stop the train…!"

Kenny suddenly stood in his seat, leeringly seething at Lee, "Make me."

"Calm down and…-"

"How the fuck do you _"calm down" _after a day like today?"

"By talking to your friend."

Kenny sat back down in his chair, turning away from Lee, "What is the goddamn deal? He's a little sick, but we can't just quit! It's a scratch! He's not like the others. Jesus, all ya'll are just makin' it worse!"

"Stop the train." Lee demanded. Kenny responded negatively by speeding its acceleration, "STOP IT GODDAMMIT."

"Fuck you, Lee." Kenny snarled, still facing away.

"You're gonna listen."

And then Kenny was in his face again, gritting his teeth, "Or what?" It was as if the man was asking for a good beating. But Lee intended to resolve this without connecting fists with his friend.

Lee continued, "Knock this shit off."

Kenny hissed, "So you wanna fight then."

"I just want to talk, Ken. Relax."

Kenny sat back down, "Then TALK."

"You couldn't save Hershel's son then, and you can't save Duck now!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

"So you're runnin' like a coward!"

Ruining Lee's intended plan, Kenny suddenly shot himself forward, slamming Lee into the door. In defense, Lee pushed him into the console, only to take several countering blows from Kenny. Kenny roared between hits, "Just leave me – the fuck – alone! I don't need you – and Duck – doesn't need you!"

Lee would have to knock sense into him. There was no other way. He was about to throw another hit when Lee blocked his incoming fist, pinning Kenny back against the console by his throat. Lee stared into Kenny's rageful eyes, "I told Katjaa I'd get you to stop this and you bet your ass I'm gonna." Kenny responded with more unintelligible gagging, unsuccessfully trying to throw another punch. "I've had your back! Don't make me fucking regret it!"

Once again, Kenny tried to connect his fist with Lee's face, but Lee managed to shield away from it, "You want to hurt people because you're afraid?! Losin' Duck ain't enough for you?! Because you'll fucking LOSE EVERYTHING actin' like this! I'll **fucking kill** you before I let that happen!"

Lee released Kenny, letting him fall to the ground, grabbing at his throat and gasping for air. Lee looked down at the man below. What had happened to the wise-cracking, always-got-your-back(-as-long-as-you-got-mine) man who Lee had first met? "I'm sorry…" Kenny stared back at Lee as he silently got back up, having caught his breath. _It's for the best, Kenny._ Lee thought, communicating through his look. He seemed to have understood, as he looked down in sorrowful acceptance.

Kenny quickly manoeuvred towards train pilot's seat, pulling a certain lever back. The train let out a high-pitched whine as it came to a slow stop.

* * *

Duck's chest heaved with heavy but slow panting as he lay across the boards of the boxcar infront of the door. Katjaa had her head by his ear, anguish creasing her features. Katjaa turned to her husband, a sad grimace on her face, "Ken. It's… I think it's time."

The look on Kenny's face went from surprise to dejection to bitter acceptance. Frustrated, he turned to Chuck, who inconspicuously leaned on the side of the train, "The boy's been bit. In case you haven't figured that out." Chuck gave no reply, instead turning his head away.

"What do you need?" Lee asked Katjaa and Kenny.

Kenny looked down, "I…I…"

"Katjaa?"

She replied with growing distress, "It's time to…this…this is not possible…" She placed her hand on Duck's forehead.

Kenny gulped, murmuring, "What are we gonna do…?"

"We can't allow him to become one of those things." Katjaa said with a controlled poker face.

"But what if…" Kenny began, "What if he doesn't?"

"Kenny, I love you very much. I love our son _more than life itself._" She weeped, "I need you to hear me. What you are saying…that he may not turn, is foolish."

"But—"

"No."

"There's…" Kenny stammered, "Come on, Kat…"

"If you think of one, you let me know."

Kenny begged, grasping at straws, "Isn't there some sort of pill, or something we can…we can just give him…"

"Stop it." She whispered.

"He can just drift off to sleep, right, hon?" He grabbed at his head, "I mean, Jesus, this is our son!"

"I KNOW." Katjaa pointed at her temple, "But we know it's… here. Or nothing."

"Well…fuck…just…who then? You want me to?"

"You don't have to."

"..I'll do it.."

"No. You don't HAVE to."

Lee couldn't just stand here and watch, "I'll do it."

"No. It should be a parent." Katjaa refused.

"No parent should have to do something like this."

Kenny supported him, "Lee's right, Kat. We can say our goodbyes and…just let that be it."

"I don't know…" She shook her head, "Lee, you'd be doing this family a great service."

Katjaa suggested, "Why don't we take him into the forest. So Clementine doesn't have to see."

Kenny voice was hoarse, "Yeah."

She turned to Lee, "Give us a moment to say goodbye?"

"Of course."

Katjaa rested her hand on the side of Duck's face, gently tucking a loose strand behind his ear. She hoisted him carefully up into her arms and began walking in a straight direction into the forest with Kenny by her side. They seemed to be in no hurry, as if they were attempt to making the moment not come faster. The rest of the group watched the pair walk slowly away with wary and mourning eyes. Clementine tugged at Lee's sleeve, "What's happening?"

He chose his words hesitantly, "I'm…going to take care of Duck."

"I thought he was going to die…" she gazed off into the distance.

"I'm going to make sure he's okay."

"But how…? He's bitten…"

"…By making sure he doesn't come back." Lee looked down.

Clementine looked as if she shouldn't have asked, "Oh."

"Look, Clem. Things will –" All of a sudden there an unexpected gunshot, "What the—"

"NOOO!" Kenny's pained voice howled as it shuddered through the forest.

"Ben! Take Clementine into the train! Go, it'll be fine!" Lee ordered towards the teenager who was in action. Without another thought, Lee bolted into the thicket of trees, following the pathway that the family had taken.

* * *

He kept running along the way, worry creasing his face. What had happened? Why was there a gunshot? Did they bump into a walker and had to fire? Was someone _hurt_? These questions soared around in Lee's mind. However, he kept his current goal clear in his head; get to Kenny and his family.

How far had they gone? Lee continued sprinting down the leafy path, thankful for it. Soon he came to a clearing and his eyes widened.

Oh no.

Duck's pale frame lay against the base of a large tree but that wasn't what had grabbed Lee's attention. On the ground nearby, Kenny lay bent over Katjaa's still body, a growing puddle of red by her face. A gun lay next to her body. What…had happened? Lee wanted to ask but his voice was stuck in his throat. He stared wide-eyed and frozen in his place at Katjaa's fresh corpse.

"KAT! KAT! KATJAA!" Kenny's voice called frantically towards his dead wife, partially unfreezing Lee. He turned his head stiffly to look at Duck, who sat unmoving but still somewhat alive judging by his shoulders and chest rising heavily with his ragged breath. Had Duck conscious enough to see what had happened?

Tears streamed down Kenny's grief-stricken face, "…Why, Kat? Honey, oh fuckin' God…?" he mewled before beginning to sob down at his wife.

Lee needed answers, "What the hell happened?! What did you—"

"Sh-she couldn't…, she just…, fuck, oh fuck…!" Kenny's quivering voice stuttered. He shuffled on his knees closer, raising a shaky hand to his wife's face and sliding her eyelids shut.

_"I love our son more than **life itself**."_ Lee recalled. Why…? This strong and caring woman had just…shot her herself in front of Kenny. How could she do something like this in a time when Kenny would definitely need her? The events from the day before had most definitely shaken her positive resolve. No, not shaken. It was more like a whole collapse. Her demeanor had become more solemn as her son's health deteriorated. But even so…first Katjaa…now…

Tears in his eyes, Kenny forced his head to turn to look at his near-dead son. With a trembling hand, he picked up the pistol and lifted himself off the ground, eventually finding his balance. Lee joined his side uneasily as they pitifully regarded Duck's barely-moving body.

"What do we do?" Kenny murmured nearly under his breath.

Lee couldn't just let Kenny kill his very own son. Especially after losing Katjaa. "Give me the gun, Ken. I'll do it."

Kenny didn't object, shoving the damned pistol into Lee's opened hands and turning away. Lee took a deep breath. _You can do this Lee. …It's either this or he'll become a walker. _He held his breath, slowly lifting up the pistol as if it weighed a hundred pounds. His finger slid lightly against the trigger. One nudge and it would be over. He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger as Duck's head tilted and rested itself lightly against the tree.

**_bang._**_ i'll let you be Robin next time, kiddo._

Kenny slouched, fresh tears emerging. He raised a tightly clenched towards his eyes, trying to keep it together. Lee closed his eyes, silently but quickly mourning for the two losses. Kenny gulped, before turning to slowly leave the death site. Lee followed, forcing himself not to look back.

**Andy's Note: Noooooo...! SO MANY PEOPLE DYING. WTH.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Andy's Note: Sorry for the lack of update! ;n; **(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ **This chapter ended up having a lot of dialogue but we have a Clementine and Lee moment at least. :D Chuck is a cool man indeed...Do you guys like Ben? I'm actually a fan of Ben (don'tkillmeplease) but he has it royal screw-ups. Ah well, maybe it's his boyish charms and good intentions (which never seem to work out) that have me on his side. Anyways, enjoy!**

Chapter 32

They were on the road again. (Well, technically the tracks)

When asked what had happened back there, Kenny had just shoved right past without a backwards glance. Even without an explanation, everyone noticed the extra absence of another member of the group.

Clementine was sitting on the edge of the open train door with her legs hanging out to Lee's subtle dismay. Her walkie-talkie was in reach to her side. Lee hunkered down beside her with a worried grimace, "You want to talk?"

"Uh, uh." She shook her head glumly.

"You understand what happened?"

Her voice was barely audible with her reply, "Yes."

"Okay." Clem was worrying him, in more ways than one. Although Lee tried his best to keep Clementine from experience all these hellish things of this world, they just couldn't be avoided. It wouldn't do good to just keep all her thoughts just bottled up inside of her. Sooner or later, she'll break…

"What are you thinking about?" Lee pressed.

"What Chuck said."

He arched his brow in confusion, "What'd Chuck say?"

"…That what happened to Duck would happen to me."

Lee heated up, a curse unconsciously popped out, "…_What? _The fuck he did."

"Swear."

"Sorry. I'm gonna go talk some sense into him."

Clementine whispered, "Don't be mad."

Lee quickly got off, already knowing where the man in question was. Crossing over to the front of the train cab, he strode past Kenny towards the front door and found Chuck casually lounging against the rails. He looked up at his presence.

"Hey." Lee called, crossing his arms in anger.

"How ya doin'?"

Might as well get straight to the point. "Don't talk to my girl. Just stay away from her."

He narrowed his eyes, "Excuse me, son?"

"I heard you told her she was going to die; that she was gonna end up like Duck. Why'd you go and do that?"

"'Cause she is." Chuck stared into Lee's eyes, "I don't know much about you folks, but I can tell you, sure as the sun gon' come up tomorrow, that ya'll keep going on like this and that girl ain't gonna make it."

Lee snapped back, "What do you know?"

"I know that you don't have a goddamn plan. We get to Savannah and then what?"

"We find a boat."

Chuck looked amused, "You think that's a new idea? You got even the foggiest idea 'bout where you're gonna find one of those?"

"…"

"Look, sit down with the girl and hash it out. Find a map for Christ's sake – I'd give you one if I had it." He began, "And if something were to happen to you…"

"It won't." Lee cut in.

"If it WERE, you gotta prepare the girl." Chuck sighed, "Teach her to use a weapon and for criminy, cut that hair!"

"She's just a little girl…"

"And she'll die a little girl if you treat her like one. You gotta consider her a living person. That's it. You're either living or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy, you ain't strong or smart. You're alive."

No matter how much Lee didn't want to admit it, he was beginning to agree with his current worldview,

"Look at her hair. You got her running around with a mop that's gonna act like velcro to any hands swingin' its way. Find some scissors in my pack and take care of that hair before a walker does it for you. And then show her how to use a gun because like it or not, that's what saves your life from here on out."

He continued to listen to Chuck's advice.

"I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but too many people have died already…"

"They have…"

Chuck looked towards the distance, "…And seein' another little girl die might just do me in."

Lee didn't even feel angry anymore at the man, "I hear you. A plan, a haircut and a gun. It's a good advice."

"It's at least something." He finished, seemingly satisfied with his lecture.

Deciding to talk about something else, Lee was curious about Chuck's past, "You have any family?"

Chuck sighed, "Out there, somewhere. Been sorta on my own for the past...fourteen years now."

"Sorry to hear that."

"No one to blame."

"Where are you headed then?"

He raised his hand, pointing straight ahead, "Uh, that way."

Lee rolled his eyes, "I mean, when we get to Savannah."

"Got a few ideas." He answered, "We'll have a talk when we get there about whether or not you folks want some company."

With nothing else to say, Lee parted, "Be safe up here."

"You betcha." He clicked.

Lee headed back into the train cab. Strange. He had walked out there looking to speak his mind only to have it changed by Chuck.

He looked over to Kenny who manned the train's controls. He didn't look so good.

"Hey man."

Kenny turned his head slightly, arching his brow, "You and me. We…uh. Fuck it. Let's just get to the ocean."

"I'll uh…talk to you later, Kenny." Who proceeded to cover his head in his hands and slouch over.

Leaving the man to himself, Lee quietly made himself disappear from the train cab and found Ben visibly depressed, cupping his hands over his face while leaning on the rails.

"Hey, Ben."

He seemed to make an effort to seem optimistic, "Hey."

Lee thought back to the night before and all the chaos that had happened. Ben had been one of the people Lilly had believed to be a traitor…"Carley didn't have to die, you know."

"…She would've killed me instead…"

"Yeah, maybe." Lee frowned, before finishing with a quick, "Anyways, see ya."

"…Yeah." He leaned himself back into his previous position.

Lee re-entered the boxcar, noticing a large green bottle that he presumed was Chuck's. He picked it up, shaking the contents. _It's a fifth of whiskey._ This might cheer Kenny up a bit…

He stepped over to Clementine who still remained by the boxcar door, "Hey, Clem."

"Did you talk to him?"

"I did, he had some…uh, he explained himself and made some good points." He sat down with a sigh, "Look, we're not going to let anything bad happen to you. But there are some precautions we have to take."

Clementine shot him a curious and wide-eyed look, "Okay, yeah, that makes sense."

"Don't worry, sweet heart."

"Okay." She nodded immediately, "What should we do?"

"Well, we're going to figure out a plan for when we get to Savannah, teach you how to protect yourself and, uh, tidy you up a little so you can't get grabbed so easily."

Clem smiled slightly, "I'd like that."

"Good."

Lee pulled himself up, "You need to know how to protect yourself."

She also stood, giving him a strange look, "Like hiding or running away? Got it."

Lee swallowed the lump of mixed feelings in his throat, pulling out his Glock from behind and brandishing it in front of her, "I mean with one of these."

Her adversity to the idea was evident on her features.

"First, don't be afraid of it. It's just a thing. Take it." Lee nudged it closer to her. He felt like a stranger offering a child candy. "But know where your finger is all the time. And don't put it on the trigger unless you want to hurt somebody."

She nodded hesitantly, taking the gun in her small hands, "Okay. Okay."

"See, it's not scary."

"It's _heavy_!" Clementine exclaimed.

"You'll get stronger." Lee bent down to her size, pointing out a few things before getting back to his feet, "To aim, you look right down the top, through that notch."

They turned, facing the gun towards the far end of the box car with all of Chuck's belongings.

Lee continued, "Line up the site at the end with your target."

She turned back to face him, "Is there anything else I should know?"

He thought for a moment, rummaging through his head for the most important thing, "I know these are just bottles, but you have to aim for the head."

"I know." She said with a sad smile, "Only the head."

"Unless it's not a walker and it's someone trying to hurt you."

"…and then?"

"Head or body. _Anywhere_."

"I don't want to think about that…"

"You're right. It might be a lot for your first day. You ready?"

She grit her teeth nervously, "Yeah, I'm ready."

Lee walked over to the SHOE OUTLET crate, placing one of the many green glass bottles next to it ontop. These would serve well as target practice. He placed his hands on Clementine's shoulders, steadying her. She raised up the weapon as she had seen the other members of her group do so. Lee touched the bend of her arm, "Good. Don't lock your elbows."

"Okay, let's take your first shot. Squeeze the trigger smoothly and I'll cover your ears. Nice and easy."

"…Nice and easy." She repeated absently, pulling the trigger. The open room was filled with a sharp bang and a shriek, "EEP!" The bottle remained unscathed as the bullet had been sent off course.

Lee looked down at the girl, "You okay?"

"My hands hurt. I don't like this."

"Let's stick with it, okay?"

She pouted, "Do I have to?" Clementine got back into the same aiming position.

"Yeah, you do." He replied, once again fixing her elbows and covering her ears.

"Okay, aim a little bit more left." He urged gently.

She heeded his advice.

"A little higher now."

Clementine pulled the trigger, and the glass bottle exploded into little green bits. She turned to face him with a beaming grin, "I got it!"

His face shared her proud smile, "Excellent, good shot."

Lee assembled another glass bottle into position for another go before returning to the practiser's side and aiding her. He silently adjusted her elbows again and covered her ears. She shot off a a bullet but it missed again.

"Keep it steady now. Almost got it. Aim a little higher."

The bullet hit its target this time and Lee could almost feel Clementine's satisfied smile from the tips of his fingers.

"There you go, nice job. Let's try another." He patted her back like the proud guardian he was.

He repeated the process, up until the elbow fix and the ear-covering. He was about to help her with her aim again but it went unneeded as she quickly tugged at the trigger and shot the glass bottle.

Lee would have to remember to clean those shards up later.

"I did it!" Clementine cried, waving her hands in the air triumphantly.

"Yeah, you did. Good job!"

"I just pretended they were walker heads."

"Good, just like you should."

She looked down, "They're not walkers, though."

"No, far from it. But you know how these things work now. We'll graduate you to walkers one day."

She looked better than she did at the beginning of this practice session, "Okay, I feel good!"

"Not so scary, eh?"

"Nuh-uh." Clementine shook her head, carefully passing the gun back into Lee's hands and sitting back down by the boxcar door.

Lee felt accomplished at the fact that Clementine would be safer with the fact she knew how to protect herself now.

Recalling Chuck's words about scissors in his backpack, Lee bent down low, inserting his hand inside the small pockets, looking for the metallic tool. He pulled them out after a few seconds, flipping them over in his hand and examining them. They looked clean enough.

Before confronting Clementine, Lee spotted a stain on the far side of the floorboards. _Is that from… _He gulped as he drew closer to the faded brown puddle. "I hope we're not in this train for much longer…" he mumbled, turning his back to it.

Lee sat down next to the young girl, "Hey, Clem."

"Hi."

"So, you're probably not going to like this."

Clementine's face scrunched up, "Oh no, what happened?"

"Nothing." Thank God. "We have to talk about your hair. It's not safe."

Her brow furrowed and she glared slightly, "That's not nice."

"What?" Lee fell back.

"Are you saying it smells?"

Lee gave her a knowing smile, "No."

"Because it does. Kinda."

He shook his head at her notions before frowning, "Do you remember when Andy St. John grabbed it? And I got mad?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, that could happen again. And if it's a walker, well…." He pulled out the scissors from his pocket, "We need to trim it."

She squirmed slightly in her seat, "Just a trim, right?"

Lee frowned, "I need to cut it short enough so that it can't get grabbed."

A sigh. "Okay."

"Mind if we do this now?"

"I guess not."

"Don't mope. It's a good thing."

She grimaced.

Lee took a deep breath, getting to his feet. _I have no idea what I'm doing._

"Do you know how to do this?" Clementine peered up at him anxiously as if she had heard his thoughts. He might've as well been screaming it out to the world because of the look on his face. She took off her hat and scooted closer to Lee who got down on one knee with the pair of scissors in one hand.

"…" Lee remained silent, not really knowing how to reply to her question. He really didn't but didn't want to tell her that outright or lie…

She pretty much got the message anyway, sighing exasperatedly as if the world had ended, "I'm going to look like a boy."

Lee chuckled on the inside. And what kind of boy would look as adorable as her? He turned her head as he made his way around, snipping off strands of hair where he pleased though he remained careful not to cut her ears or anything.

Clementine unexpectedly chose a darker topic, shocking Lee, "So you did kill someone, before."

He paused for a moment, his hands in her hair, before replying somewhat casually because he couldn't really deny it now, "Yep." He continued to trim her hair length down.

"I'm glad you finally told me."

"Me too."

She tried to improve the mood, "You've killed lots of things now; it doesn't even matter."

With one side of her hair down, he gently turned her head to face the other direction and continued to clip.

"Killing is bad, no matter what." Lee stated softly.

She defended him, "But you do it now to protect yourself – and to protect me."

"It doesn't make it good." Snip, snip.

"But you have to."

"I do it because it's necessary. And walkers aren't people." Lee frowned, before putting the scissors down with a light clatter. He stared at his work admirably. It didn't look bad…much. "Okay, I think I'm about done. I can probably tie these pieces back with something."

Clementine reached a hand up, "Here, I have some _hair thingies_."

"You do?" Lee took the offered _thingies_.

"Uh, yeah. Lilly gave them to me for sleeping."

Lee concentrated on tying back the bits of hair into pigtail-resembling balls, scrunching up his face at them before deciding that they were fine. "There. You're all set."

She immediately reached both hands back, feeling for the nostalgic pieces of hair that were now missing. Upon realizing that they were gone, she slouched forward in defeat, "Does it look dumb…?"

Lee ruffled her hair playfully, "Ha, no. You look cute – and a lot harder to grab." He offered up her baseball cap.

Clem grasped her hat, placing it on her crown and attempting to covering up what little there was of her formerly medium-long hair.

"I'm sorry about your hair. I think it looks cute, though."

"My mom isn't going to like it."

Attempting to get Clementine to offer her thoughts and be a bit more open, Lee exhaled, "What a crappy day."

"The crappiest." She nodded.

"If three months ago I'd have known what you'd be seein', I don't know if I would've taken you with me."

"I probably would've run out of food."

Lee shivered at the possibility, "You damn near starved with me."

"I'm glad I came with you." Clem assured, warming his heart.

Would've it been better for Clementine if she had stayed in her treehouse. Someone perhaps more prepared and reliable could've picked her up instead. On the other hand, someone dangerous could've found her and who knows what could've happened?

"I need to look around for a few things that'll make sure we're prepared for when we get to Savannah."

"That would be good. I hope it's safe there." She expressed.

Lee agreed, "God, me too."

Deciding to check up on his friend, Kenny, Lee exited the boxcar, brushing past Ben and found him sitting in the controls seat, "Hey."

"Yeah?" Kenny grumbled.

"Let me know if we're getting close or you see anything." Lee called through the door as he headed over to Chuck.

"Hey, Chuck. I found this in your pack, if you want it." Lee alerted his presence, offering the whiskey.

Chuck's jaw seemed to almost fall open as he reached towards the green bottle, "Damn, didn't realize I had it left. Thank ya." And almost slyly, "Want a nip?"

Maybe it was the way Chuck had said it but Lee didn't' feel up to it. Also, it wouldn't do to get drunk. "Nah, I'm fine."

"Suit yourself." Chuck dismissed him, pulling the bottle up for a swig, "Anybody in there want to share a drink, you let 'em know."

Lee looked up to the area where Kenny was, "Will do."

Entering the cab, Lee spoke up, "Chuck wanted to know if you needed a drink."

Kenny looked at him with disbelieving eyes, "He's got some?"

"Yeah."

Shaking his head for a moment, Kenny got up from his chair, leaving it swinging. He brushed past Lee with a "Yeah, that'd help."

As Lee proceeded to leave the train cab, a bin full of documents caught his eye. Examining it more carefully, he discovered it to be a pile of maps and other sorts of documents. He reached over, taking the map with him. This would be very useful. Clementine and he could go over this map.

With his hand reaching towards the cab as he skimmed over the map, Kenny suddenly burst back into the cab apparently done with his quick drink. "Thanks." Lee heard him mutter gratefully but grumpily (probably not a good mix with alcohol) as he sat back down.

Striding back down the railway with his map, Lee glanced at Ben who still sat with his head in his hands. It reminded him of his many university students the week before exams. Stressed and anxious. Wanting to leave Ben alone with his troubles, Lee began to walk past when there a sudden but quiet, "It was me." from behind.

Confused, he turned towards the source of the cracky-sound, "Huh?"

"I was the one giving the bandits supplies." He admitted.

**Andy's Note: DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN. -dramatic chicken- OMG IT'S ALREADY CHAPTER 32! ARE WE GONNA MAKE OUR 11 CHAPTERS EACH EPISODE OR WILL WE HAVE TO MAKE IT 12 CHAPTERS FOR THIS ONE? D:  
**


	33. Chapter 33

**Andy's Note: -punches myself- I keep procrastinating chapters because I'm so lazy and it's even worse because it's in the summer break...! My ideal work is to write and draw anime during the summer but all I'm doing is reading and playing games lol. Ah well, my friend has taken (been forced/promoted) to being my motivator. (she'll threaten to dropkick me if I don't do my work.)LET'S SEE IF THIS WORKS OUT.(p.s. any Ben fans here?)  
**

Chapter 33

"It was me." Ben blurted out quietly from behind, "I was the one giving the bandits supplies."

_Why? _That was his first question, followed by the rest of "five 'W's". Lee's eyes widened. Shock. Horror. Disbelief. After denying it immensely and in such a thorough manner, Ben had been the culprit all along…?! "WHAT?" He managed to splutter.

With Lee's reaction stabbing him, he shook his head and re-covered his face. Lee quickly climbed over to his side of the train and Ben turned to face him with a huge effort, "It's all my fault." He whispered.

He stood there dumbfounded at the teenager's words. The culprit that had caused it to all go to hell, whether purposely or by accident, was standing right in front of him. The person who had caused Carley to die…

"I could kill you…!" Lee raised his voice icily at the boy.

He stammered, unable to respond, "I…I…I…"

Lee threatened in a hushed tone, slowly stepping closer, "Nobody can see us. I can toss you over right now and be done with it!"

Ben cowered away, raising a shaky hand defensively, "_No—I—LEE, PLEASE…!_"

"…Why shouldn't I?"

He quickly started explaining in an attempt to save himself, "They said they had my friend! I didn't know what to do! LEE, PLEASE!"

Lee continued leaning closer as the traitor's words registered in his mind before finally backing off and settling down somewhat. His fixated glare still remained though. Lee's silence and paused pursuit was enough for Ben to know that he still had a chance.

He continued, "I had to tell someone…"

"I bet you did." Lee spat before storming away from Ben and back towards his original destination.

The more he thought about it, if Ben was unintentionally the perpetrator of the whole incident, wouldn't he technically also be the one at judgemental blame for the loss of Duck and Katjaa? If Ben hadn't done this…if he hadn't been smuggling supplies out to the bandits…if he had just _told_ someone, anyone…! Then the raid wouldn't have happened and Duck would've never gotten bitten which in turn resulted in Katjaa committing suicide. And Carley would've never…

Lee shook his head in frustration. Kenny would definitely not like this. Not one. Little. Bit. He'd probably kill the boy twos time-over. And he was ashamed to admit that he might've helped Kenny do it. So what was he doing, already unconsciously decided in keeping the poor teenager's dreadful secret? He gritted his teeth, trying his best to not hurt something or in particularly someone behind him in a blue varsity hoodie.

Something in the boy's eyes had made Lee realize just how sorry and desperate he was. He had said that his friend had been taken (though if he had just been making up a quick story to save his sorry behind, he was in for it the second Lee found out)and Lee might've acted in the same way. Anyone would've probably chosen to do the same. But Ben's mistake had cost the team four precious people. And it wasn't _four less useless mouths to feed_. It was far from that. They were all contributing and hard-working members of the group. What was the right thing to do? _Was_ there even one?

Lee looked down. Would Carley want him to just get **rid** of Ben?

_He had made his decision already, hadn't he?_

With his hand hovering over the handle of the boxcar door, he sucked in a deep breath. Was his face still frowning? He thought while focusing all of his concentration on straightening out and calming his clouded expression. An unnatural face would only bring about troubling and prodding questions. Plus, he didn't want to worry Clementine. God knew how much stress she had been going through the past…hours.

He entered the boxcar, immediately knowing where Clementine would be sitting. Remembering the map he had obtained from the train cab, he plopped himself down next to the small girl who in turn smiled a hello at him.

"I want to talk about Savannah." Lee began.

She looked up at him, "Me, too."

He continued, pulling out the valuable document as he spoke, "And what we're going to do when we get there. We don't know what to expect – the city could be bad or totally under control." He laid the map across the space between them. A variety of different-sized faded teal shapes blanketed the majority of the map's face in an orderly fashion.

"The thing is, you and I, we're a team, you know?" Lee said as they gazed upon the map's workings, "And a team needs a plan. Aside from everyone else, when this train stops, you and I should know exactly what we're doing."

"A plan. I like it."

He chuckled lightly, "Ha, good."

"First things first: I think we should look for your parents."

Her eyes brightened with hope, "Really?"

"Yeah. You need to know if they're okay. And, well, if they're not, what happened to them."

"I'm sure they're okay."

It wouldn't do to just blatantly lower her hopes. There might be a chance that they were still somewhere out there in Savannah, "Yeah, it's best to stay positive."

"That's what dad always says." Clementine reminisced.

"Let's look at the map. IF we can figure out where they were we can start there." He noted the train's path through the busy streets of Savannah with his finger, "It looks like we'll come tight through town if there's nothing on the tracks to hold us up. Now, we've got a good chuck of Savannah here. What do you think?"

Eager to offer any ideas she spoke up, "They always stay in the same place when they go there. It's uh…hmm." She shook her head, frustrated at her memory.

"Hey. Don't worry, we'll figure it out. Have you ever been there?"

"Once."

"Well, think about it – there are a lot of hotels on here, but read this map and maybe it will jog your memory."

Clementine looked thoughtful, "They've got really tasty desserts. It's called the M...M something…Mar…"

Taking the new addition to their ideas, Lee leaned his head over the map's directory, looking for anything that began with "Mar". "Is this it? The Marsh House?"

"Yes, that's it!"

"So we'll head there."

"Yes!" she exclaimed with glee.

Lee laughed, "You think we have a good plan?"

"I think it's very good." She replied, stressing the very, "Can I..tell my parents? You know…"

He gulped. He had never met the girl's parents before; only through an old family photo. What if they knew and would react in the same way as Lilly's father, Larry? And that had been hell enough already. The slight shimmer of bubbling hope in Clementine's eyes broke that thought down however, and Lee decided to just let it be, "Sure, go ahead."

The corners of her mouth perked up at the trust Lee showed.

"All right. How do you feel?" Lee inquired.

Clementine arched her eyebrow for a moment, sorting out her feelings," Good. Better. I'm glad we have a plan."

"And you're a good little shot."

"Thanks."

"I guess we should see how far—" He began before being cut off by the echoing and familiar gruff voice of Kenny, "OH, SHIT! HOLD ON EVERYBODY!" Not two seconds after, the train began to suddenly brake with an annoyingly high-pitched whine and Lee could already feel the momentum pulling him. Getting a firm grasp on Clementine and on the door next to him, they braced themselves.

* * *

Chuck stood straight with a tight hold on the bars in front of him, not wanting to fly off the front of the train. Through the glass, Kenny's cold eyes fixated on the group's newest obstacle.

* * *

The team, nervously curious to know what had caused Kenny to suddenly halt the train, debarked from the locomotive, eventually gathering as they reached the front. They stopped, taking in the sight as Kenny continued walking forward. "_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! FUUUUUUUCK!_" he let loose curse by curse as he kicked at the ground in utter anger. About maybe 20 to 30 meters away from the front of the train dangerously hung the huge back tank of a gasoline truck with the rest of the large vehicle still miraculously on top of the bridge it hung from. The side of the gasoline tank read **PSVF **in bold white letters surrounded by blue and gray. It probably wouldn't have been such a big problem if the tank itself was not completely obscuring the train's direction.

Atleast they were lucky that Kenny had stopped the train on time.

Ben suggested weakly, "…Maybe we could walk?"

"That's fucking stupid, Ben." Kenny grumbled coldy.

"I'm just sayin'…" his voice declined in volume even more.

Chuck hopped off a ladder, "Hmm. I dunno; I ain't got much experience with y'all's fortitude but we could probably deal with that. We got a goddamn train."

"That thing's not full of milk, Charles. That's gas. Or diesel. Something that's gonna _explode_."

He turned to face Kenny who was still fuming, "YOU gotta get ahold of yourself. This is a crew here."

Kenny stepped closer to Chuck. And if they were any closer, they'd probably be kissing. He leered with an aloof tone that Lee recalled, "This ain't shit."

"This—"

Another interruption that was unexpected. Except this time, the voice was new, amused, "You, you keep screaming like that and you're gonna get your face chewed off."

Another voice called down from the top of the bridge; this time, a female's voice, "Are you guys going to be trouble? Because we could've just kept walking."

"No, we're friendly." Lee stepped up to the plate, calling up to them with a loud voice and whispering to Kenny without breaking eye contact with the newcomers, "Put your hand down, Ken."

The woman replied dryly, "That's what everybody says."

"We know."

The man of the couple turned to his partner, "Let's give these guys a break."

"We'll see." She replied.

From down here, Lee could make out that the man's ethnicity was probably from Western Asia and that the woman's was from African. The man wore a brown jacket while his partner wore a strikingly-bold white and purple one.

The asian man spoke up, "You guys got a problem with your train?"

Kenny grouched, "Yeah, you're standing right in front of it."

"Dude, it's a wreck. It's not so bad from up here. Send your buddy up to have a look."

Lee began to step forward, heeding the man's advice when Kenny's hand rose up, stopping him at his chest, "Anything goes sideways up there, we won't let them escape." Lee nodded before resuming his walk.

Walking towards the large pillar where several ladders had been set up against, Lee held his breath. He could be about to head straight into two stranger's dangerous trap. They seemed friendly enough (well, the man mainly) but it was as the woman had said, _That's what everbody says_. He hoped he could trust them and that things wouldn't go wrong. Placing his hand on his first bar, he called up to them, "If I come up there you better not be murderers or thieves."

The woman's head peered over the edge, "I guess you'll have to find out."

As he began to climb upwards, muffled voices from the top became clearer. From down there, there would've been no way to hear them and Lee considered pausing and eavesdropping but the pair knew he was coming up anyway. "A group of guys is what we need." The man seemed to be persuading the woman, or at least trying to.

"They're what you think we need. We're doing fine."

"For now. What about when…?"

"Stop it."

Lee hopped over the top of the ladder and his feet touched stable ground. Turning at his presence, the man smiled friendly at him, "Hey dude, I'm Omid."

"Lee." He returned, looking over at the woman expectantly.

She sighed, "Christa. What's the deal with the train?"

"We're driving it."

"OH, MAN." Omid grinned with sweet anticipation.

Up close, he could see their features more clearly. Omid had a crew cut that seemed to reach over his chin as he was in need of a good shave. His jacket was in fact, not a jacket but instead a tattered and mussy hoodie. He peered back at him with curious and child-like eyes.

Christa was the taller of the couple with a similar but lighter short hairstyle. Her eyes were brown and they seemed to notice everything and he could feel them staring at him, attempting to decipher Lee. She wore a dirtied jacket that was white across the shoulders and sleeves. The torso area of the jacket may have been a lighter shade of purple before. It reminded Lee of one of Carley's outfits with the choice of color.

Lee continued his story, deciding to trust the pair for not trying to kill him, "I'm not going to bullshit you. Our group is a little fucked right now. We had a bite victim and then his mom took her life and before that, just…"

Christa's eyes softened, "It's okay."

"Oh, shit!" Omid exclaimed with a smile, confusing Lee. What was he going on about now? "Goddamn, you guys have a kid!"

Huh? Lee turned just in time to see Clementine pop herself over the ladder and joining Lee's side, "What are you doing up here?"

Omid was giddy, "Do you know how long it's been since I've seen a kid? Shit! What's your name?"

"Clementine."

Lee looked amused, "Oh, so he gets to swear?"

"Well, this is great!" Omid laughed, turning to Christa, "See, things are looking up."

Ignoring him, Christa questioned Lee, "You're not her dad. He down there?"

"It's that obvious?" Lee uncrossed his arms.

"To me."

"And no, he's not down there."

"Hmm. What's your story?"

He bent down to Clementine's height, patting her lightly on the head, "We've just been trying to get by, together. Maybe find her parents."

"And everybody down there, they're cool?"

Lee walked over to the edge, looking down at his group who were currently engaged in a silent staring contest, "Ben is young and stupid and, I think, harmless." He couldn't trust them enough to just tell them about a specific thing about the individuals in his group so he went with a simple one.

Christa frowned, "The first two things you said don't really go with the third." Yeah, pretty much. Lee rolled his eyes.

"I know. We just have to keep an eye on him."

"No sweat." Omid said.

"It's been rough for everybody down there. I'm sure you can say the same."

Omid sympathized, "We're sorry for anything that's happened to you guys. That train is _awesome_, though."

They all turned towards their current problem, "That tank is your real problem." Christa began, "We'll help you with it, but if we see anything we don't like, we're moving on down the road. Alone."

Lee genuinely smiled. Fair enough. "We'd appreciate the help."

"You can't just blast through it, I guess?" Omid said.

Yet again ignoring him, Christa continued, "If you could get it down, the rest would probably be pretty easy."

"We'll start there."

"We'll come down and settle in, and see if we can help."

**Andy's Note: We're nearing the end of this episode. Next chapter should tie up the knots for it and then we're finally on the fourth episode!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Andy's Note: Did I upload this on 19/07/2013 as planned? Yes? No? If yes then I guess I can pat myself on the back for doing my work but if no I'm probably gonna get dropkicked. I liked writing this chapter because of all the things that were happening and the amount of dialogue wasn't sickening to my stomach, heh. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this so far!**

**This is Chapter 34 (NO, I BROKE THE 11 CHAPTERS EACH STREAK!), the ending chapter (finally) to Episode 3/5 for TellTale's The Walking Dead. Next chapter, we'll be in Savannah!**

Chapter 34

Apparently done with the conversation, Lee began to explore the accessible parts of the bridge. There was Federal Rescue Services near the mouth of the ladder that Lee wondered how long this bridge had been clogged up with vehicles? It had been at least three months since the start of this all. What had happened to the vehicle's occupants?

The back of the FRS vehicle was not locked so Lee was free to open it up and explore its contents. _Or whatever was left. _He thought dimly as he cautiously pulled both of the doors open and looking inside. Either this vehicle had not been stocked very well or it had already been ransacked long ago. There were two stop signs and two orange traffic cones. Looking more closely in between the few objects, he discovered a small roll of yellow tape. _That's about the only useful thing in here._ Not bothering to close the doors, he continued to look around the area.

Nearby the FRS vehicle was a generator at the feet of a pole. Upon closer inspection, he concluded that it was empty and utterly useless until fed some fuel. Wherever they would find that.

He headed over to the gas tank, examining the large joint of metal that supported the obstructer. _There's no way I'm pulling anything apart down there. _Feeling as if he had nothing else he could do up on the bridge, Lee nodded to Christa and Omid who followed behind him along with Clementine back down the ladder. The rest of the group perked up like patiently waiting pet dogs at the sound of their arrival.

"Guys, this is Omid and Christa." Lee introduced to the couple behind him.

Their expressions were cautious of the newcomers, giving no other reaction nor reply.

Omid scratched the back of his neck nervously, eyeing Lee, "Not big on welcomes, I suppose."

"Like I said, it's been a bit of a day."

He tried to lighten the mood, "We just wanted to say hi and say your train is pretty cool."

"But we're not looking for charity." Christa firmly threw in.

Lee explained, "The plan is to cut that tanker down and be on our way."

At this point, Kenny seemed eager enough to accept anything, save Ben's plan of walking the rest of the way, "Seems like plan enough to me."

Omid craned his neck back to face Lee with eager eyes, "You want to start in on that tanker?"

Christa also turned, "I'll get to know the girl for a minute, if you don't mind."

Kenny spoke up glumly, "And why don't I show you how this thing works, in case something happens."

In case what were to happen? Kenny wasn't about to go off himself now. Lee arched his brow, "Really, Ken?"

"It's probably for the best." He sighed before beginning to climb back up the ladder to the train cab, "Someone might want to have a look inside of that station back there, too."

Now that you mention it… The group looked over to the not too far-off building beyond the oil tanker. Omid smiled, "Sounds good to me. Let's do this thing."

Off to do their own things, the rest of the group dispersed. Chuck began to play his guitar again and the heavy air was filled with the calming strum of the instrument and casual chit-chat. Curious to check out the station in the back, Lee sauntered by Clementine and Christa who sat criss-crossed on the leaf-covered grass chatting about things Lee would've probably never understood. Girls. Lee snorted with slight laughter. They'd seemed to hit it off quite well for a first meeting. And it was a nice feeling to have another adult woman in the group that the young girl could connect with. Deciding to leave them be, he continued his quest only to stop at the familiar chime and sleeve tug from behind him. "Can I follow you over there?" He jerked his head back to look into the insistent eyes of Clementine. Christa stood farther back, seemingly abandoned by her.

"You don't like the new girl?" Lee bent to her height.

Clementine's smile faltered, "I do. But… it's like we're a team. Like you said."

What was he supposed to say to that? "Yeah, all right. Come on." Lee stood back up, calling over to the rest of the present group, "Clementine and I are checking out this train station, all right? Hustle over if you hear anything."

* * *

They walked side-by-side along the train tracks (with Clementine adorably pretending to be a tight-rope walker, fit with humorous narration.) before breaking apart from it as they neared the station. It was an old and rusty building with a front that resembled a train stop back then. Along the wall of the station were bricks arranged in a pattern of appearing as walls and then arches. Painted on one of the wall gaps were white words that were hard to read because of the age. Lee believed they said **Everton & Schuctz**. This pattern continued along the rest of the wall gaps. Occasionally there was a window that would be almost entirely if not nearly covered with large planks of wood. It seemed to be well fortified from the outside from walkers. _From the outside AND the inside._ Lee corrected. He still wasn't so sure about this place. There was something about it that gave him slight chills and Lee worried if it was actually the right thing to do, bringing Clementine along with him.

Clementine continued to walk along the shaded porch, placing a drifting hand on the walls as she walked. More recently, were accidental splotches of whiter paint on the front. There were opened cans of white paint that lay abandoned by one of the beams that supported the roof over the porch. Had they been renovating something before this had happened?

Curious, Lee stepped out farther from the building, looking around. He found it. On the roof in messy and big, but fortunately easily to read scrawl were the cries for help,**_ SU RV IV O SI D E_**

How old was this? Could there still be people inside like the message had said? Or were they long gone; rescued by a lone helicopter pilot who had happened to pass by and read the message…or worse? The possibilities were endless.

Clementine ran ahead and Lee made an effort to catch up to the little girl. He found her trying to open the entrance to the station and he made a disgruntled face. "You should wait for me before trying to open doors."

Her reaction was immediate and she looked down, holding her hands together at her waist. "Sorry."

Lee let up, "Luckily it's locked. We'll get better at working together."

She nodded, smiling before moving out of the way from the door. Lee noted the open window above the locked door. "The window's open up there…"

"Maybe I could look in?" Clementine suggested.

"Why don't I put you on my shoulders and you can peek into that window up there?"

"Sounds good."

Lee lifted the small girl up with a grunt, manoeuvring her closer to the open window.

She bent her head down into it, "Okay, I can see in, what do I do now?"

"Getting this door open is going to be tough."

"It might not be that hard."

"Maybe we can find the key or figure out a way to knock this door down." Lee continued to ramble dryly, "Kenny'd probably have me pick the lock…which actually might work now that we have the time." All of a sudden there was a clicking noise as the door unlocked. Clementine cut off Lee, "I think I opened it."

"For real?" Lee looked up in bewilderment for validation of his young charge's achievement.

"I think so."

Lee allowed her feet to touch the ground and she cautiously pulled the door open. The triumphant look on her face put Lee in his spot, "Well I'll be damned."

"Let's go. Be _careful_."

Amused, he looked back down at the girl, "I'm supposed to tell you that."

They entered the station, and Lee was immediately struck hard again with that grim and ill-fated feeling. And it wasn't like you could blame him. The room was dimly light by the open entrance and the thin and barely-noticeable cracks between barricaded windows. The door creaked as it slowly slid back into place and the room lost nearly all its light. "Goddamn it's dark in here."

"Maybe I could hold the door open?" Clementine shrugged.

He shook his head at the idea, "I don't like that. I'll prop it open with something." That being said, he reopened the door widely and placed down his spike remover against the door as a wedge.

Once again, the room was illuminated enough for Lee to look around his surroundings instead of fumbling around like an idiot in the dark. Despite the roof's sign that claimed people were living inside of her, Lee could not see much signs of life in the dark area, at least, not in this room. His instincts tingled warning of danger but he paid no heed to them. Overall, the room was very empty yet cluttered at the same time. One half of the area, the one they were currently standing in, consisted of mainly boxes and scattered wooden pallets. The latter half, Lee presumed, was probably used for storage as there were shelves that lined the space. In the middle, separating each half was a physical border: set of bars that resembled a cage.

Lee peered past the bars and into the other side, looking for anything that would provide as motivation to getting past the boundary. A large white cylindrical container caught his eye. It was a blowtorch. "That's exactly what we need." He voiced out loud.

"Over there?"

"Yeah. We need to get in there and get that blowtorch."

The cage door was locked up good upon examination. No getting in through there. Maybe…he looked up above the door with his hopes up. Like the door they had entered in through, there was also a gap that lined the top of the cage. "There's some space up there, but not much."

"We're lucky I'm so little."

"Yeah, we are. You okay going over the top of this fence?"

"Yeah, definitely!"

There was that dreadful feeling again as Lee lifted Clementine through the narrow gap. She gracefully (well as gracefully as she could get) hopped down into the other side, catching herself.

So far so good. "Go on and grab the keys, Clem."

She nodded but mid-turn, something caught her attention and her eyes widened.

"Come on, scoot."

Her reaction was not at all expected: she cowered back in fear. Lee was paralyzed with confusion as he stared at her.

Clementine warned, unfreezing Lee. "Behind you!"

He turned just in time as a bloodied walker neared him. "Fuck!" Lee swore, instinctively reaching behind him for his gun. Pulling it out with time to spare, Lee expertly aimed the gun at the walker without a single pause. And he would've proceeded to fire if not for the growling sound to his left. _Oh sh-!_ Just in time, he reacted by throwing his arm up to block the incoming walker by its throat. The force from it threw Lee off balance, dropping his gun which slid under the bars. Lee shoved the walker off and he stared at his nearing pursuers. He glanced over his shoulder at the spike remover that was holding the door open. Immediately, he began backing up. Without wasting any time, he bent down to scoop up his weapon of choice. Never had he been so glad to see a spike remover.

He swung the club down at the nearest walker. It still wasn't giving it up so Lee swung upwards into it. The second walker threw itself at him hungrily and Lee caught its left hand and pushed back against its rough shoulder. Lee slammed the walker's head with the club. It's neck flicked back like a toy. Disgruntled, Lee swung the weapon again, tearing off a large chunk of its face with it. The walker turned with the sudden momentum, now having his back towards Lee. Bringing the weapon down hard on the being's head, Lee finished the job.

He looked down, hands on his bent knees as he caught his heavy breath. That was close. Way too close. He breathed a huge sigh of relief as he looked back up and his eyes widened.

Clementine stood paralyzed with fear as she pointed his gun that had gotten knocked out of his hands. Her arms were shaking with the reality of actually trying to shoot a moving walker. No amount of training with glass whiskey bottles would prepare her for this. This was a hurdle that she would have to overcome.

Lee stepped closer, worry creasing his features as he raised his hands up. "It's okay…it's okay…everything's fine."

She dropped her hands down; a distant and cloudy look in her eye.

In the corner of his eye there was movement. Lee jerked his head towards the source and he blinked several times, hoping this was just his paranoid mind. A large walker that had been concealed by shadows slumped forward into his step. The sound that a predator finding its prey probably would've made emitted from its slack jaw. "KEYS! NOW!" Lee shot forward to the bars. Clementine quickly obeyed his command, reaching for the lone key on the key holders and turning back. She reached her thin wrist through the bars and offered him the keys. He quickly grabbed the keys out of her palm, wasting no time in inserting the small tool into its place and turning.

He pulled the door just in time and Clementine ran through towards him, urgently giving him the gun. Lee placed himself between the walker and Clementine for extra safe measures. Lee pointed the pistol at the walker and pulled the trigger. The walker slumped back onto the floor, his back connecting with one of the shelves and its neck slacked sideways.

"God…damn…" Lee facepalmed.

"That didn't go so good." Clementine grimaced.

"No, it did not go so good. But we're okay. Everything's okay."

Out of the blue, there was Christa's voice that called from behind the now-closed door. "What's going on? I thought I heard a gunshot."

"We're fine." Lee repeated.

Christa wandered into the building, letting the door shut behind her. Immediately, her eyes went to the obvious several walkers that laid scattered across the floor in areas and more importantly, the fresh blood oozing from their head wounds.

Lee felt like a child caught in trouble by a parent. He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck with the end of his gun. "We uh…found some walkers."

"You and an eight year old versus three of them, huh?" She stepped closer, and Lee imagined a well-deserved storm forming in her eyes. Christa placed an arm on her hip, demanding an answer.

"Mind your own business. If we wanted you to help out we would've asked."

She snapped back, "If you two were to die in here, three dead turns to five and THAT'S my business."

"Good thing it didn't happened then."

"I'm going to go make sure the noise didn't cause us any problems."

Clementine smiled infectiously, "That's a good idea."

Having gotten infected by it, Christa shared the same expression as she turned to the door. In front of it, she turned back, fixating Lee a look, "I hope you know what you're doing with her."

"We're still alive, aren't we?"

"Yes, you are."

She left somewhat pompously, again leaving the door to shut behind her. Lee hurriedly turned to Clementine, "You sure you're okay?" After a scene like that, he was worried about her well-being.

"Yeah. I'm a little shaky."

"It'll pass."

He turned to door only to pause and remember the blowtorch. It wouldn't do to just come all the way here, have three close-calls from the station's probable previous inhabitants, and then just leave without getting their well-deserved prize. Lee strode into the cage, bending his knees to lift up the cylinder, "We've got it."

"Let's go outside now."

"What did we learn?"

"…I'm not ready for a gun…?"

"We learned not to be afraid. They shoulda got us, but we got them."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Fear is the thing that will kill us, you understand?"

She nodded, smiling.

Wanting to leave this dark place as soon as possible, Lee heaved the cylinder through the door with the help of Clementine holding it open for him. They made the quiet journey back with Lee having some time to think to himself. Christa was right. He should've been more cautious of just entering a random building. There had been three too many close-calls in there. And the thought of Clementine being attacked by that walker if he hadn't made it in time…

He shook his head, mentally willing his thoughts out of his head. As they reached the overpass and rejoined with the group, Omid exited the cab, waving towards them. Lee waved back, "I found a blowtorch in the station. Should make quick work of the coupling up there."

"Excellent." He grinned with anticipation, "I'll come up there with you to have a look." Having said that, he began to climb the ladders, patiently waiting for Lee at the top.

Once he propped himself onto the overpass, Lee set to work, placing the blowtorch on the ground as close as it could get to the hitch. He loosened the screw, holding the torch up. "Shit."

"What?"

"The hose has a leak in it." Lee sighed exasperatedly.

"T-turn it off, dude! I don't want my eyebrows burned off!" Omid backed away carefully.

He obliged, "Better plug that leak with something."

Remembering the tape that he had found in the FRS vehicle, Lee rummaged his hands through his pockets for the roll before finally emerging. He bent back down low to the blowtorch, expertly wrapping the leak with secure protection, "Hope this holds."

He turned the blowtorch back on, leaning towards the hitch. He was careful not to let the sparks blind him without proper gear and closed his eyes, flinching from the sudden heat.

Omid watched his work, "That is crazy, look at it go!"

"Just about got it." Suddenly there was a rumbling as the front part of the gas truck began to slide backwards. Omid's eyes widened, jumping forward to pull back Lee from behind taken down with it. The back wheels caught lodged itself into the overpass's side. Lee looked up at Omid as he got back up onto his feet, "Whoa, thanks!"

"No sweat, man."

"This thing's hanging by a thread. The smallest cut and it'll go."

Unfortunately, the hitch was now out of reach.

…Lee had an idea. Omid wasn't going to like this.

Lee shoved the blowtorch towards Omid's open hands, "Here. The weak portion of the coupling is out of my reach."

"And you think it'll be within mine?" he gestured to his small stature.

"Heh, no. But I'm gonna dangle you over that ledge."

Omid jerked his head back to Lee, "The hell you are!"

Moments later, it was so.

"God, you're a real son of a bitch, aren't you?" Omid called towards Lee as the latter carefully supported Omid over the distance.

"Shut up and start cutting."

* * *

Upon exploring out of utter boredom and lack of things to do, Ben had found a ladder that led to the top of train. He was on lookout duty then, and he was on lookout duty now. He sighed, satisfied but dissatisfied. When Lee had returned from the station, his attention had followed him since, or more specifically the blowtorch he was heaving around.

At the moment, he was watching (and to his surprise, enjoying) Lee and Omid's work on the oil tank's hinge. His mind wandered, imagining what would happen if they just rambo'd and drove right through the damn thing. Would it be like the movies he and his friends would often go to? Nah. They'd probably go up in pieces. Many. …then the noise would lure walkers from all over the place and those pieces would then become even smaller.

He sighed. Instead of letting his mind go loose, he should be entirely focused on watching for any trouble. Ben turned only to see the previously empty field far-off not completely covered in something…bringing his hand over his squinted eyes to get a better look he…_Oh no_.

"Guys…! There's something coming…!"

* * *

"WHAT THE WHAT?" Omid exclaimed, noticing what Ben had said _was coming_.

Walkers. And not just one or two. It must've been hundreds of them. Thousands even. The drawl of moans from all of them sounded like a low hum from this distance.

Lee grimaced as he still held onto Omid, "There must be thousands…"

Ben yelled, running towards the farther end of the rooftop, "WE GOTTA GO!"

Lee grunted, "Fuck, Omid! CUT! CUT!"

"I AM!" He shouted back, "IT'S GOING! PULL ME UP!"

The ground shook as the tank fell off its hinges and hit the ground. Luckily, the impact was not enough to explode it. Lee and Omid began to run towards the ladder only to find empty space instead. The oil tank had fallen towards the right and had taken the ladder down with it.

Lee cried to Kenny, who anxiously was waiting for the cue, "KENNY, GO!"

The group hurriedly assembled back onto the train as it began to ease its way into acceleration.

With the ladder out of the question now, Omid panicked, "Shit! What the hell do we do now? The ladder's smashed to hell!"

Lee ran to the opposite side of the overpass with Omid quick to follow, "We gotta jump!"

"WHAT?! No way!" Omid stared back in disbelief. Lee climbed on top of the fence and Omid gulped, mimicking him.

They couldn't waste anymore time. Any longer and there would be no more train to land on. "Have it your way."

"I will!"

He pushed him.

Omid swore, "You son of a-!"

He landed badly, bouncing off the top of the train and tumbling to the side.

"Shit!" Lee heard a female voice cry. Christa jumped off the train and ran towards Omid, helping him up.

Lee hopped off the fence, fortunately landing better than the former.

"RUN!" Christa yelled as Omid painfully limped behind at his fastest speed. The walkers were gaining. Deeply regretting his move now, Lee swung himself into the open door of the boxcar and quickly got to his feet, helping Omid first up into safety.

He yelled, "No! Her! NOT ME!" Christa stumbled out of view from the train. "CHRISTA NO! FUCK! You piece of shit! She's a woman! Don't you know—"

Christa suddenly came into view again through the boxcar door, breathing heavily as she sprinted along with the train. She threw herself onto the floorboards of the car with a grunt. Omid had a huge look of relief on his face, "Baby…"

"It's okay, honey. I'm okay."

Getting to his feet, Lee peered behind the train through the open door. The train was picking up speed and the angry and hungry mob of walkers were losing them. One zombie in particular seemed to give them the finger. The breathtaking amount of them shook him. _Imagine being caught up in that…_

Omid shared his thoughts, "That…was a LOT…of them."

Clementine appeared in the doorway, "Are you hurt…?"

Lee answered, "No, we're okay."

"Speak for yourself. My leg is fucked." Omid frowned.

"We're fine, Clementine. We're fine." Christa reassured.

* * *

The dawning sun was peering up through the horizon of tall buildings and houses. Lee had volunteered manning the controls while Kenny took a small nap. Clementine, wanting to stick together like team, was now snoozing in a chair that Lee had pulled up. Her open backpack sat by her feet and Lee could see one of her drawings fanning out of the side. Lee didn't recognize this one. However, he smiled lightly at the peacefully sleeping girl and turned his head back to face forward. The tugging feeling of curiosity pulled his head back and he decided there was no real harm in taking a look at her drawing.

He propped himself up out of his chair and knelt down to the backpack, reaching for the sheet of paper. Underneath the drawing was her carefully-taken care of walkie-talkie. Upon planting his eyes on the drawing, Lee's face furrowed with sadness. Right at that moment, Kenny who had apparently finished his break entered the train cab and Lee felt slightly guilty.

On the wrinkled piece of paper she had drawn Kenny's family holding hands with big smiles on their faces. It pulled at his heart's strings to have seen this drawing of hers.

Kenny's voice broke him out of his trance, "Next stop, the Atlantic."

Lee calmly placed the drawing back in Clementine's bag, "We're finding Clementine's parents when we get there."

"I thought they were dead."

"Looking for them, then."

Kenny shook his head, narrowing his eyes, "That's not the plan."

"Well it's ours. She and I talked it through."

"…"

"It's gotten too bad, you know? You, me, nobody can take all this."

"…But we have."

"What we're supposed to do isn't clear anymore. I'd give anything to go back to fighting over the motel."

"Me, too."

"I'll leave you to your thoughts." Lee said, turning to the sleeping child in the seat, "She's out cold like I've never seen."

All of a sudden there was a high-pitched static noise as her radio came to life. Confused, Lee bent down to scoop the communicator up. There was more static and faint words between them, **Hell…o…oo…there?...**

"What the…?" Lee gasped. Kenny stepped closer, equally shocked.

**Can't wait for you to get to Savannah, Clementine. I've got your parents right here, and you be sure to find me whether Lee wants you to or not. Now, what I need— **The radio suddenly cut off.

"Holy shit…" Lee stared at the walkie-talkie that wasn't even supposed to be working.

Kenny whispered, "I thought that fucking thing was broken…"

"So did I. Who was the fuck was that…if he's convinced Clementine that he has her parents…"

"Ya'll might want to rethink your plan."

Lee remained silent as he gazed at the girl sleeping soundly in her chair and then outside the window towards the nearing city.

Walkers might not be the most dangerous things in Savannah as thought.

**Andy's Note: AND THERE WE HAVE END OF EPISODE THREE! We made it! Next chapter we'll be one step closer to five episodes. Thanks for putting up with me throughout this chapter, what with my excessive laziness and inability to write. See you soon!**


	35. Chapter 35 Around Every Corner

**Andy's Note: Yay for Episode Four! 'nuff said.**

**The Walking Dead Episode 4/5**

Chapter 35

Savannah's streets were silent and entirely deserted and the group was determined to keep it that way. Though Lee had no particular problem with it, it was strange how they hadn't seen a single walker yet after the long period of just walking. Not even the signs of recent life.

When they had stopped the train, Kenny had immediately begun heading to the river front, with a dull gaze on his face. Nobody had voiced their complaints out loud but Lee felt nervous at the problem of finding time to look for his young charge's family.

Though nobody mentioned it, there were strange red markings and symbols on the doors or walls of buildings. They didn't look satanic but Lee wasn't an expert on these sorts of things. Most of the symbols highly resembled eachother and seemed to follow a strict format. There were also numbers and letters that Lee believed to be abbreviations. The neighbourhood they were currently in seemed to be one of the better ones. There were tall brick walls that encircled each house, complete with a firm iron gate. It seemed strong enough to keep anything out…or in. The barriers concealed whatever mess the occupants had gotten themselves into from the outside and Lee was thankful for that. Beyond the walls were elegant houses often surrounded by towering trees. There seemed to be a pompous tinge mixed in with the heavy scent of death.

They unconsciously assembled into a walking formation, with Kenny at the front and Lee and Clementine taking up the rear. Ben was yet again on the lookout, walking beside Kenny though facing backwards. Twice, the teenager had stumbled but he still seemed fixated on walking in that uncomfortable manner. Lee solemnly watched as Omid struggled but managed to keep up with the group with his dragging limp. They passed by a gated yard and Clementine stopped in her tracks to peer in at a foreign grey and strangely-shaped object before catching up.

Lee now had Clementine's walkie-talkie at his waistband as a hostage. It was a safety measure as recently, him and Kenny had discovered the supposedly broken device actually had a mysterious receiver on the other end. She looked up at Lee with puppy-dog eyes, "Can't I just hold it?"

As much as he didn't want to refuse the little girl, this would be a matter in which she didn't get her way. She continued to reason with him, "Just for a little while? We're getting real close to wehre my mom and dad are, maybe I can-"

"Not now, Clementine. Maybe later, okay?"

She pouted, outwardly showing her disappointment, "Okay."

Lee directed his voice to the worrying woman in front of him, "How's Omid?"

"His leg's pretty bad." She bit her lip.

Omid gritted his teeth, "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, you need to rest." Upon receiving no response from her partner, he turned to Lee, "He needs to rest."

Sympathizing, Lee spoke up, "Kenny, how much farther to the river front?"

"Should be just a few more blocks up ahead." Kenny stated.

"And there'll be boats there?" Christa raised a questioning brow.

Lee answered, "There sure as hell better be."

Kenny seemed to be muttering to himself, "There'll be boats. Have to be. Have to be."

Ben reassured, "It's going to be okay. Kenny knows what he's doing."

All of a sudden the group froze in their tracks as there was the sound of a bell towering ringing.

"What the hell…?" Ben voiced everyone's current thoughts.

Christa narrowed her eyes, "Maybe this city's not so dead after all…"

Turning to face the group, Kenny tried to retain the goal in everyone's minds, "Keep moving. No-one's ringing that bell. It's automatic, on a timer."

Glancing at his watch, Lee furrowed his brow, "What kind of church bell goes off at twenty past the hour?"

The group remained silent, not sure what to make of the situation. Lee looked up at the bell tower just in time to see the slim and dark silhouette of a figure disappear behind the roof, "Someone's up there!"

"Are you sure? I don't see anything." Ben craned his neck, squinting his eyes.

Lee raised his voice, "Hey! Hey you up there!"

Christa glared chastising him while somehow managing to keep her voice down, "Dammit Lee, keep quiet! You're gonna—"

Cutting her voice, the sound of the radio communicator at his waist sprang to life.

**If I were you, I'd get out of the street. Now.**

Christa suddenly turned on Lee, "I thought you said that that thing didn't work!"

Ignoring her fury, Lee spoke into the radio, "Who the hell is this? Hello? Hello? I said answer me!"

There was no response and the group froze, repeating their mysterious contactor's words in their heads.

Omid expressed, "What the hell was that? Is someone trying to fuck with us?"

"Sounded more like a warning." Ben stated grimly.

Chuck turned, widening his eyes, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls…"

Everyone turned to him, the same confused look on each and everyone's faces.

Kenny spoke, "What're you yammerin' on about?"

Then the apparent increasing noise of snarling and moans registered in their minds as they realized what sort of situation they were now in. Chuck finished, "It tolls for thee…"

The previously empty streets were now crowded with the incoming monsters. Of course. With all the noise they had been making, it was too much of a miracle to have thought that there were no walkers in range to have heard it. And with the bell tower…shit, every single walker in the neighbour must've heard it. With everybody utterly frozen in horror, Lee shouted (yes, it didn't really matter now that there was noise, did it?), "Everybody, RUN!"

The team snapped into action. Wasting no time, Kenny pulled out his gun in a fluid motion, beginning to run from the oncoming walkers. He shot the closest obstacle in his way, taking it down. With his shovel and her gun, Chuck and Christa began to clear their way as they chased after the rest of the group. Stopping for a moment from his running, he made sure Clementine could catch up. The team resumed their previous formation, albeit in a greater gap from each person and they continued to run down the streets of Savannah.

Kenny suddenly lurched forward, having his ankle being gripped by the grubby hands of a concealed walker that was crushed under a car. Kenny caught himself, grunting in effort as he tried to escape its grasps. With no significant change, he only gulped and clung to the pole of a stop sign with his left hand and reaching for his thrown and out of reach gun with his left. Lee, having caught up, shouted towards his friend, "Kenny!" He pulled out his gun, shooting the nearly chomping walker in the head. Kenny immediately threw himself away from it, better safe than sorry. He looked to Lee, "Little too close, don't ya think?"

There was the sound of Clementine's cry, "Ben!" and Lee turned to see what had happened. Clementine and the young teenager had backed up into a yard wall from slowly-gaining six walkers.

"No! Ben! Help her!" Lee ordered at the fear-stricken teenager. Ben gritted his teeth in absolute horror as he switched gazes from the closer than expected walkers and the quivering girl at his side. He shook his head, guiltily looking down as he turn to his left and sprinted, abandoning Clementine and nearly being grabbed by a walker.

"Goddammit, Ben!" Lee cursed, pulling out his gun at a desperate attempt to save the abandoned girl all the while making a mental note to kill Ben later.

He took down four walkers, while continuously trying to hit a walker that was a bad angle for him. Clementine shrieked as it drew closer and prepared to pounce. Lee hollered, "No!" Then there was the familiar wooden handle of Chuck's shovel as it turned into the walker's neck, momentarily throwing it to the side. The strike proved not nearly as effective as it seemed as the monster began to rise up again only to have its stomach impaled by the shovel's blade. Chuck turned towards Lee who had immediately rushed to the girl's side. "Get her the hell out of here! I'll catch up with ya!"

They shared a silent and brief look of mutual understanding and acknowledgement before Lee and Clementine took off to catch up with the rest of the group. Kenny turned to the following group, "Move you asses! River Street's right up ahead!"

"That's not all…" Ben said, coming to a slow stop. More walkers. There was no going down that way.

"Oh, gimme a fucking break!"

Christa glanced around at the present members, "Wait, where the hell's Chuck?"

They swerved their heads to spot Chuck single-handedly attempting to take down at least ten surrounding walkers.

"Shit! He's in trouble, we gotta help him!" Omid exclaimed.

They caught the notice of several of the walkers as the monsters turned their attentions to them. Kenny looked over his shoulder at the also-incoming walkers, "There's no time! We've gotta go, now!"

More than one of the members were hesitant and unsure about leaving Chuck alone to face the walkers.

"I'll be fine! Just go!" His gravelly voice ordered. Upon his word, they were more than willing to get away from the scene. Lee gave Chuck one final look over his shoulder as they bolted away.

* * *

They ran towards the nearest and accessible house as they pushed past the fortunately unlocked gates and into its open yard. Kenny held the gate open before abandoning its post, "I'll get the door!" The air was still filled with the nerving sound of walkers hunting.

Omid suddenly fell forward with a painful yelp, "Gaaaaaaaaah!" Christa immediately rushed to his aid.

Lee closed the gates, looking through them for any walkers that might've managed to follow by. When there seemed to be none, he jerked his head, "You okay?"

"Ughh…" Omid groaned, turning onto his back.

"You've opened up your wound, you're bleeding!" Christa gasped, "Shit, that's gonna get infected. We've got to get him inside, clean him up!"

Lee jogged over to Kenny and Ben who were frantically picking at the door's workings, "Kenny? How's that door coming?"

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it!" he snapped back frustratingly.

Christa spoke through clenched teeth, "Well work faster, would you? It won't be long before those things outside figure out where we went. You know they can smell blood."

"Let me see if I can find us a way in." Lee replied. But the first thing on his mind was making sure Clementine was okay. She silently stared through the gates, looking for any signs of walkers. She turned to face him, urgency in her tone, "Do you think the dead people saw us come back here? Are they going to find us?"

Not wanting to worry her, Lee answered calmly, "No, they didn't see us. We were too fast for them."

"I can still hear them out there. It sounds like they're getting _closer_."

"It's just your imagination."

"I'll feel safer when we're inside the house." She finished, walking towards Christa's side and sitting down.

Lee looked towards the wood-barricaded windows. They looked to be a good fix. "No way I'm gonna be able to bust through that." Lee muttered. The bushes rustled and the teenager that Lee hadn't seen before due to the thick brush concealing him was now visible. Lee had a few words to say to this kid, "Ben?" Lee called with an authoritative and serious tone.

He turned at the sound of his name.

"About what happened back there on the street…"

Ben became defensive, "I know. I don't know what happened. I just… froze up. Hasn't that ever happened to you?"

He lowered his voice, "Just hear what I'm saying to you. You put that girl in danger again, it won't be walkers you have to worry about."

The teenager widened his eyes, backing up as much as he could (and that wasn't much.), "I hear you."

"I'm gonna go check things out."

"Alright." Ben replied, before turning back and resuming checking out the windows.

Lee walked over to Kenny who was still diligently at work. Lee examined the door, "No way we're gonna force that open. Not without making a lot of noise, at least." Continuing to explore the yard, he noticed a shovel, picking it up. _A shovel is never not useful._

He noted the lumpy dirt mound and the dog house next to it and considered digging it up but decided against it, _Don't think I wanna start digging up god-knows-what until we find a way into that house first._

He walked over to Kenny again, thoroughly examining the door once more, "What's this? Looks like some sort of pet door here."

By the windows, Ben spoke up, "I tried it already, that's locked too."

Kenny scoffed, "Who the hell ever heard of a locked doggie door?"

Omid offered his ideas, "I have. My neighbour had one just like that. It's radio-controlled, the dog wears a collar with a chip in it so the door only opens when the dog gets close to it."

"Well, shit. Every day's a school day." Kenny smirked, shaking his head.

Ben furrowed his eyebrows, "All right, so… where's the dog?"

Lee had an itching feeling that he knew where the dog was. He headed over to the dirt mound with had a thin wooden gross planted deep into the earth above it. It was like a big sign that spelt out, "Lookie here, the dog's here."

Before he began to dig it up, Omid warned, "Hey, be careful. Digging up dead things isn't what it used to be, know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I hear you."

Clementine, Ben, and Kenny walked over to Lee's side as he shoveled up a small mound full of dirt. She innocently inquired, "What's buried down there?"

Thin, fragile legs stuck out from being uncovered from the dirt. Lee didn't want her to see this, "Nothing. Clem, go over and sit with Christa and Omid, okay?"

"But I want to-"

"Just do what I say, okay?"

That was when Lee recognized his mistake when he saw the hurt in Clementine's expression. He didn't want to expose her to anything he was digging up. It might bite, or worse. But it was unfair to shoo her away but allow the rest of the onlookers remain. Resisting the tempting urge to call her back, Lee continued to dig.

The dog was uncovered, along with a foul rotting stench. Ben covered his nose, "Oh God, the smell."

Holding his breath, Lee bent down closer to the carcass, reaching with a reluctant hand at its red collar. He lifted it up, along with the body, "Ugh…I can't get it off." He was about to reach in his other hand when it was deemed unnecessary as the head of the dog suddenly slipped off with a sickening snap. "Agh!"

The onlookers gagged, "Okay, that is NOT cool." Christa suddenly covered her mouth, turning to the side and vomiting.

Clementine looked at her worryingly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, honey. It's just the smell."

Omid looked at her incredulously, "Are you sure you-"

"I said I'm fine, okay?"

He held the disgusting collar in his hand. Clementine spoke up, "Will we be inside soon?"

"Yeah, not much longer now."

"I hope so. It's getting cold out here."

Heading over to the door and pulling out the collar, Lee bent down low to the pet door, "Here goes nothing…" He held the electronic collar at his finger tips, offering it like a sacrifice and the door seemed to be satisfied, the previously red light above it flashing green.

Kenny fist-pumped the air, "Yes! Goddamn!"

Lee bent his head into the door. "You see anything in there?" Ben asked.

"No. Looks like it's been empty a while."

Suddenly the moaning over their heads gained in volume. Christa turned frantically, "Whatever y ou're going to do, do it fast…"

Lee nodded while knelting back down, "Okay, lemme see if I can reach up in there…"

"Be careful, man." Ben warned.

"Uugh…it's no good, I can't get it."

"Here, let me try. I think I can-" Ben began to offer only to have Clementine suddenly rush herself into the open door like a pet animal. As quick as the scene had happened, she had disappeared inside the house.

They looked flabbergasted at the sudden scene. Lee spoke, concern gracing his features and tone, "Clem! Are you okay? Say something!"

There was unsettling silence as the group looked worryingly at eachother. Suddenly the door clicked open and a cheerful face appeared. She hopped forward, bowing like a successful magician, "Ta-da!"

"Good job, Clem!" Lee praised.

Ben agreed, "Yeah, way to go."

"I did good, right?"

"Yes you did. You did good."

Omid struggled to get up, "Can we maybe, uh, have this conversation inside? My leg's starting to hurt like hell."

Kenny stepped in, scrutinizing the area.

"Looks okay from here, everybody in."


	36. Chapter 36

**Andy's Note: How's your summer going, everyone? I woke up today and looked at the calendar and thought, _Wait…August is tomorrow? Whut._ Ah. The summer break is going by so fast. Soon enough, we'll be going back to school and there will a load of work clogging up everything..D:**

**So! In the meantime, let's get things done right now. Thanks for all your support and as always, I REALLY appreciate your kind comments and suggestions to my story!**

Chapter 36

It was evident that the house's original occupants had not been in for a while judging by the large amount of dust on the surface of many of the home's furniture. Its interior was grand, much like the outside. The walls were two comfortable shades of green accented with mahogany at its borders. There was even a chandelier at hung from an expectedly high ceiling. There was an air that hung upon the house that gave Lee the familiar chills of being in a haunted mansion.

Christa promptly led Omid to the couch. He gratefully sighed at the thought of rest but let out a sound of discomfort as his leg roughly connected with the end. "Sorry! Sorry!" Christa bit her lip as she whispered.

"No, it's okay. I'm good. Feel better already just being off my feet. Thanks, babe." He winced as he gave her his best convincing smile.

The group spread out among the kitchen and dining room, cautiously exploring the new area. Christa strode over to Kenny and Lee, "So, when were you going to tell us about the radio?"

"Tell you what?" Kenny replied defensively.

"That it's working! That there's someone else on the end of that thing! You didn't think that might've been worth sharing with the rest of us?"

Lee furrowed his brow, "I was going to tell you. Kenny and I only found out yesterday."

But she wasn't having any of it, "So both of you were keeping it from the rest of us? _Great._"

Kenny crossed his arms, "Who gives a shit about the damn radio? I'm more worried about whoever it was out there ringing that bell and bringing the dead down on top of us! It's like they didn't want us to make it to the river!"

"What makes you think it's not the same person? Whoever was on the radio was close enough to see us in the street. And we didn't see anyone else other than the guy in the bell tower."

"Because that doesn't make a lick of damn sense! Why would they bring out the dead like that, and then try to warn us about it?"

"How much sense does anything make anymore? In case you haven't noticed, there's a lot of twisted folks out there these days." She sighed, looking off to the side, "At least the dead don't play games with you."

Lee spoke up, "I don't know who it was. All I know is, they're no friend of ours."

Kenny wagged a finger towards him, "Damn right. I'm telling you, they don't want us getting to the river. Maybe they want those boats all to themselves. Well, we'll see about that."

"I'm not going back out there any time soon. Omid needs to _rest._" Christa frowned.

Lee agreed. It had been pretty hectic. "I think we could all use a little time to rest up and gather our thoughts, Kenny. At least until those walkers outside wander off and Omid's feeling better."

"He'd best feel better quick. I ain't gonna wait around here too long."

"…Place seems secure at least." They all turned to Ben who peered back with anxious eyes.

Christa expressed, "I'll feel better when we know that for sure. We need to check the whole house."

Kenny exhaled before beginning to issue off orders, "Alright, fine." He gave Ben a nod, "You and me'll take the upstairs – Lee, you've got down here. Make sure you check every door, understand?"

He gave him a curt nod, "Okay."

Upon that note, the group disbanded to go off on their duties. Lee felt a tug on his shirt, "Can I help? What if there's another locked door?" The young girl chimed enthusiastically.

Ruffling her head (well, really just her hat), he answered, "I think you've been helpful enough for one day, kiddo. Why don't you just see if Christa and Omid need anything, okay?"

Disappointed, she looked down before walking off, "Okay."

Lee began his check in the kitchen, examining and opening drawers and cabinets. All empty. The place didn't look as if there was any evidence of a break-in so the house's previous occupants most likely brought anything of use along with them. Wherever they went. There was a lumpy, colorful bag dominating the majority of the kitchen island. Curious, Lee tilted his head as he recognized it to be a popular, albeit expensive brand of dog food. He had once overheard a group of university students chatting about irrelevant things and the subject of dog food had been brought up. This stuff was edible. Apparently. Lee grimaced at the idea though it might be a future partaking if things became desperate enough, _I'm not THAT hungry. Besides, I need to finish checking the downstairs._

He directed himself towards the dining room. A lone bottle of alcohol sat upright in the middle of the table. It probably wasn't the best idea right now to get drunk. He needed to stay frosty. The sight of the bottle suddenly reminded him of Chuck. Where was he…? He shook his head. Though he wanted to gather the group to look for the missing member of the team, they had a task right now.

Lee bent down to look at the table. _Looks expensive. And heavy. Doubt any looters would be able to haul this thing too far._ If needed, they might be able to use this for extra fortification if they decided to stay here for a longer period of time. Along with the bottle, the table was scarce of anything else other than two crumply pieces of paper. _No dinner for us, I guess._

Next room: the living room. He nodded at Christa who gave him an appraising look. On his right, he noticed his first door. Lee sucked in a deep breath.

Okay. This could go wrong in many ways.

Keeping his right hand on his gun, Lee backed up a considerable distance from the door to lower the chances of being knocked down but still close enough to hold onto the door handle. He pulled the door open, stepping in gun-hand first. The room was empty of any threats. And unless toilets and sinks decided to grow legs and bite people, they didn't have anything to worry about in here. "Nothing hiding in here."

There were organized paintings that were not on the wall but instead placed neatly ontop of eachother on the ground by the fireplace. Lee arched his brow at the very top one before scrunching up his face at the deformed drawing, "Not exactly my style…" On the contrary, there was a more mundane painting that hung overtop the fireplace. It was a family portrait of the people who had formerly resided in this home. A father, mother, and their son. There was also a dog in the image. Their expressions stared back into the room.

There was another door and Lee braced himself again. Clementine watched his actions anxiously. He pulled up the door. Nothing but a closet. Lee jerked his head towards his partners by the couch, "All clear in here." He reclosed the door, turning to face another door across the room, "Just one more to check." Not rushing himself, he stopped quickly by Clementine, "Holding up okay?"

"I hope this house is safe. Have you check all the rooms to make sure?"

"No, but I'll take care of it."

Since it was the last door, Lee felt extremely guarded but also at ease at the same time. The other doors didn't have anything wrong inside but this one…he got into position again, ready to turn the handle.

…He turned the handle, pulling the door ope- "JESUS!" Lee exclaimed loudly as something fell forward onto him. Except there was no incoming bite. Lee stared incredulously on the fallen object on the floor.

It was just a mop.

The group by the couch obviously caught notice of his sudden interjection. Clementine inquired worryingly, "What? What happened?"

"It's nothing. Just…nothing." Lee sighed exasperatedly as he roughly shoved his inanimate adversary back into place, not wanting to admit he'd just been scared by a common household object, "Well, the place ain't got much. We should be okay here for a while, at least until it quiets down outside."

"Good. Thanks." Christa gave him an appreciative smile.

The two looked over Omid who was now snoozing away on the couch, "Is he okay?

"Yeah, for now. But I'm really worried his leg might've gotten infected. Don't suppose you turned up any meds while you were poking around?"

"Nah, just dog food. And there's some whiskey in the back."

She nodded solemnly before changing topics, "I was just asking Clementine if she knows who the man on her radio is. It's okay, honey, you can tell us. Who is he? What does he want?"

Taking a gentle approach similar to Christa, Lee bent down to Clementine, "Go ahead, Clem. It's okay. You're not in any trouble."

"It's…just a friend. I don't think he wants to hurt us."

"What has he been saying to you?" Before narrowing her eyes, "What have you been saying to him?"

"I told him I was trying to find my parents, and that they were in Savannah. He really seems nice, I think he wants to help me find them."

"Clementine. Honey, trust me, that's not what he wants. He-" Suddenly Ben's voice cut her off as he called for Lee urgently.

Lee immediately got of his knee, running to the stairwell where he met Ben. Ben quickly spoke in a quiet voice, "Lee, you need to get up here now."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Kenny."

He nodded before rushing up stairs, following behind Ben as he led him through the upper floor. They came upon an open attic ceiling door with its folding ladder welcoming them in. Ben explained anxiously, "Kenny said he thought he heard something up there, went to go look."

"He's up there?"

"I can't get him to come down."

"Did you go up and check?"

Ben shook his head.

"Stay here." Lee instructed as he began to carefully scale the folding ladder.

He peeked his head over the top of the edge, "Kenny?"

The man in question sat on his knees in absolute silence as he observed something that was out of view. His frame was illuminated by only light source. Lee stepped up onto the wood boards, drawing no response from Kenny even as he came closer, "Kenny? You okay, man?"

As he joined Kenny's kneeling frame, Lee's face scrunched up and he instinctively brought a hand to his nose, "Jesus. What the hell is that…?"

Then he saw it, "Oh my God."

Its shoulder rose first, followed by the rest of its body. To call it thin would be an understatement. Through the child's translucent and dry skin, you could see and count each and every one of its frail, stick-like bones. It rasped as it struggled to turn to face them with dead, greyed-out eyes. Despite its severe malnutrition, his trimmed hairstyle was still apparent. The walker boy was entirely naked other than his pale-blue boxers. He attempted to walk towards them on its bone legs only to collapse under his own weight. Unable to get back up, the almost-skeleton raised a desperate and hungry hand towards them with its jaw slack emitting a rusty whimpering-like noise.

As they gazed upon the pitiful boy, Kenny spoke up quietly, "Kinda looks like Duck, don't he?"

It uncannily did. The hairstyles were similar and its headshape and approximate height were almost the same. But agreeing with Kenny would just bring him down more. Shit…it was as if Kenny was looking at his own undead son. "It's just a kid…What the hell happened to him…?"

"Ain't nothing on him. Guess he must've been hiding out up here. Starved to death."

"Jesus Christ."

His tone picked up more frantically, "I-I don't know if I can, Lee. Couldn't do it before. Can't do it now." Kenny stared down at the floor, slightly shaking.

"I can't ask you to do this, man. I'll take care of it. Like I did before."

He looked up at him with cloudy eyes, "Are you sure?"

"…I guess we'll find out…"

Lee began to step closer to the zombie boy, looking at the scene around him. He came upon a mattress that was brown in the light. The bed was unmade and the pillows around it were strewn about. An empty water bottle and plate lay abandoned not far. This must've been where he'd slept. Ignoring the objects, Lee slowly walked forward to the moving skeleton. Now that he was closer, he could somewhat recognize it as the son from the family portrait in the living room. It directed its attention to him but was unable to reach his leg, "Poor kid must have tried to hide out up here until he starved to death." Lee furrowed his eyebrows, "This could've been Clementine if I hadn't found her when I did."

There was nothing else stopping him. Lee reached for his spike remover, turning to look at Kenny for any hesitation. His eyes only reflected sad acceptance as he broke eye contact. Lee looked back down at the struggling walker, "I'm sorry." He brought down the weapon, hitting it in the corner of its head and killing the undead child. It fell across the floor, unmoving with its arm still outstretched.

Kenny joined Lee's side, uttering only, "We should bury him."

"…I'll take care of it." And with that, Lee knelt next to the skeleton, picking its frail and uncomfortably light body in his arms. It didn't matter that it smelled anymore. This boy needed a proper burial. Leaving Kenny alone in the attic surrounded by the dim light, Lee descended back down the stairs. He wordlessly strode past an antsy Ben, carefully walking back down the stairs and towards the door. At the doorstep, Lee looked down at the package in his arms before looking at the grave next to the doghouse.

Lee slowly advanced towards the burial hole, carefully placing the boy's body next to his dog. After a moment of hesitation, he picked up the shovel in his hands. Now that he thought about it, the thought struck him as this was actually the first (and hopefully the last) burial he had ever done in his new life. They didn't bury Duck and had no time to bury neither Carley nor Larry. He breathed in slowly as he scooped up a sizable amount of loose dirt and dispensed it ontop of the two corpses.

He shoveled up another mound before feeling a set of eyes behind him and he jerked his head to find Clementine silently watching him by the door, followed by Christa. The look in their eyes told him that understood. Turning his back to them, they re-entered the house. The fog was heavy as he continued to deposit mounds of dirt into the hole. The two corpses were almost entirely covered. _Just one more scoop should do it…_ He thought as he shoved the shovel into the loose dirt pile. Then he felt another pair of eyes watching him and for a moment thought Clementine was back at the door. Except he didn't feel them on his back…it was from the side. He slowly turned his head to the source seeing the blurry silhouette of a man silently standing there watching him through the fence bars.

The man, noticing he'd been seen, immediately broke out into a run back into the deep fog.

"Hey! HEY!" Lee exclaimed, dropping the shovel to the side and grabbing the bars and shaking them as if that would help. "Who are you? What the hell do you want from us?!" There was no response as the man took off down the street.

There was a female voice behind him and he turned to face Christa's demanding eyes, "Lee? What's going on?" Ben stood behind her with the same question on his face.

"…I thought I saw something outside the fence."

"Some_thing_? Or some_one_?"

"Didn't get a good enough look. The way they moved though, too fast to be a walker."

"Could it have been the guy that's been following us? The voice on the radio?"

"I don't know, they didn't say anything. Just stood there, watching." Lee shook his head, "Creepy as hell."

At that moment, the front door creaked open and a weared-out Kenny stepped out.

"Kenny?"

"I'm fine. Just…I'm fine." He reassured before taking in the tensed up look of the three, "What's all the ruckus?" Clementine peeked her head out from behind the door.

Ben explained, "Lee thinks he might have seen someone out there, spying on us."

"Maybe it's that goddamn bell-ringer…"

"Man, remember when walkers were what we were most afraid of? Those are starting to seem like the good old days."

"Well, to hell with this. I'm not gonna let whoever it is out there keep us from getting our boat. We've holed up here long enough, I'm headed down to River Street."

Christa spoke her concerns, "I don't know if Omid's well enough to move yet."

Kenny stepped closer, "Well he better get ready. Because I'm going down to River Street right now to find a boat. And as soon as she's ready to go; we're moving out."

Lee cut in, "I don't know if it's safe to leave just yet."

"Why the hell not? Walkers look to have cleared out."

"That's not all I'm worried about."

"So you'd rather just hunker down here and just let whoever's out there keep us boxed in? Wait for them to starve us out? No thanks."

Christa crossed her arms over her chest, "I hate to say it, but Kenny's right. Omid's not in a great shape to move, but we can't do anything for him here. Without meds or a doctor, he's only going to get worse."

"All right, all right. I'll head to the river with Kenny to scope out a boat while you get Omid ready to move."

Ben turned to him, "What about me?"

Kenny shot him down, "You'll stay here with the group. You'll only slow us down."

Clementine tried, "Wait, can't I come? My mom and dad can't be far now, maybe we can look for them on the way to the river."

It was Lee's turn to shoot her down, "Clem, honey. I think it'd be best if you stayed her with Ben. I need you to watch out for Omid and Christa, help them get ready to move out."

"You said I'm supposed to _always_ stay close to you."

"I know. It's just this once. Sometimes we all have to put aside what we want for the good of the group. Hey, don't worry. I'll be back before you know it. Okay?"

"Okay."

Kenny cut into their conversation, "Daylight's burning. Gonna go grab my gear, then we'll head out."

Christa nudged the little girl, "Come on Clem, let's go see if Omid needs anything."

The group went back into the house but Ben stayed behind, blocking Lee, "So…you're just gonna leave me on the bench here?"

"That's not how it is, Ben. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Clementine."

"I can do that."

"Well, just so we're clear. While I'm gone, anything or anyone tries to get inside this house, you shoot. Don't even think twice about it. Understand?"

"I got no problem shooting walkers."

"Did you hear what I said? Anything or **anyone**."

He half nodded and half frowned, now comprehending Lee's words.

"Good."

Before following behind Ben back into the house, Lee glanced over his shoulder back into the blinding fog in the corner in which the stranger had been standing by.

Whoever he was…he wasn't going to hurt Clementine. Not on his watch.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Much of the fog had cleared up but it was still difficult to make out anything behind the thick curtains of grey and white. The only concern Lee had was for what could be on the other end. As planned from before, Kenny and Lee stalked along East Bay St., turning down Lincoln St., in hopes in finding the group's potential salvation. Lee curiously examined a green vehicle that had been stripped of its four doors and almost all of its parts. This hadn't been the first one.

Determined to get to their destination, Kenny had mingled not once during their trip. A fierce look was fixated on his face and his moustache gave the appearance of a large scowl but Lee wasn't entirely sure. Losing almost everything and everyone important to him, Kenny's mentality had most definitely taken a drastic blow. By how much was unknown. Needless to say, Lee was worried for him.

They continued to walk in heavy silence down the deserted row of buildings. Again, there were the undecipherable red symbols that demanded answers. Often, a building would have a banner similar to one at a party strung over the top of it reading, INFECTED. It wasn't like they were planning to go inside any of these areas but it was just nice to know what to expect.

There was a dry lump in Lee's throat as he observed the gloomy back of his partner. He needed to say something.

"Hey, so…you wanna talk about it?"

"…About what?"

"About what happened back there. In the attic."

"No." He replied curtly.

"You sure, man? I mean-"

Kenny cut him off again, forcing Lee to eat his words, "River's right up ahead."

"…"

Then at that moment, the sound of a bell chiming echoed throughout the long streets and they froze. In a well-practiced action, Kenny reached for his gun, aiming it defensively, "Son of a bitch. That bastard's fucking with us again. It's another trap."

Lee raised a halting hand, "No. Listen. That's not the same bell as before. This one's farther off. Whatever it is, it's gonna get the dead moving over there." The bell continued to chime its pattern, each time, the tone sounder lower.

Kenny turned to face him, only to get back into his defensive stance. Lee jerked his body at the sound of nearing moans. A hoard of walkers walked down the street, however in the opposite direction. They quickly crept towards a corner, hiding behind a wall as they watched the crowd stagger.

"What in the hell is going on?" Kenny muttered.

He frowned, narrowing his eyes at the unbelievably large amount of walkers. Thankfully, they were out of hearing distance. "I have no idea. But someone must be ringing those bells."

"Whatever, man. I find whoever's doing that, I'll ring their motherfucking bell for 'em."

Lee arched his eyebrow as he tilted his head at the man, "Good one."

They watched the crowd dissipate down the street, right down the very last one which dragged itself around without its legs. Not believing it was a threat, Kenny continued his pathway down the street away from the walkers, "Hmph. Let's keep moving."

Kenny led the way with Lee taking up the back, tentatively watching for any creepy-crawlies that may have picked up on their trace, "Still nothing moving behind us." He turned, "I think we're—…Oh my god."

They stared at the sight before them: they had reached the large docks, sure. But what use was that when not a single standing craft remaining? Lee cradled the back of his head with his hands, sighed with bitter defeat. Kenny's face scrunched up, "There's gotta be a boat...there's gotta be."

The empty pier stared back at them mockingly.

"Are you sure about that? It doesn't look like it to me. Maybe we need to start thinking about a plan B."

Kenny suddenly turned on him, waving an angry fist, "This IS the plan! It's the only one we've got, and you pissin' on it in front of everyone like you did back at the house ain't exactly helping. Well screw you, I ain't giving up at that easy."

Lee stepped forward to stop Kenny but the latter ran forwards, unfalteringly looking for anything recoverable. He brought his hand up to his face, catching himself at the area between his eyebrows and let out a sigh. If Kenny was this unwavering, then he couldn't do anything about it. Lee raced forward, following behind Kenny who lifted his legs up over the railing and jumped over onto the bridge. He leaned closer to study a boat that was partially under water but the majority of it stuck out proudly. (Well, as proud as a sunken ship could get.)

"This one might still be salvageable."

"Seriously?" Lee replied dryly.

"You got a better fucking idea? I'll check it out. You look further along the waterfront…maybe there's something at the other end."

"I don't think we should split up too far."

"We don't have to." Then he pointed towards a contraption a few meters away, "See that telescope? You can see all the way along the waterfront from right here. See what you can find."

"…Okay." He shrugged.

Leaving Kenny to his desperate work, Lee turned towards the direction of the telescope. He squinted his eyes, looking at something beyond it. What the hell…?

Forgetting about his former duty, he came closer to the huge barricade that was made out of an unrecognizable material. He'd wished he hadn't come any closer. Upon endless layer upon layers of burnt bodies were sharp rods that pierced through bodies. The human barrier was taller than him! There was a jerk of the foot as the bodies impaled became alerted of his presence. They growled at him, eagerly reaching for him with hungry eyes, unknown of their current condition. Lee didn't know who would willingly put walkers on a stick so they must've been alive when this had happened to them. "What the fuck?" He noticed a sign stabbed into one of the many mounds of charcoal-like bodies. In red marker, or more dreadfully, human blood was written, **STAY OUT**. "What is this meant to be, some kind of warning? Who would do something like that?"

Lee backed away from the grotesque barrier. He considered shooting the walkers but he decided against it. Gunfire would just bring more walkers. Lee sucked in a deep breath before resuming his focus on the telescope. Using all his might to ignore the gravely moans to his right, he positioned his head for his eye to look through the machine.

Nothing. It was entirely black.

"Great. Needs a quarter to work."

Hmm. He pulled out his club, giving the telescope a good whack. _Damn, built solid._

Now having the time to more thoroughly examine the area, Lee yet again saw more of those red puzzles, "What the hell are these markings? They're all over the place…" It looked an upside down line art of triangle with its top move down to cut through the triangle at around a third of the way down. This created six empty sections in which four of them were filled with a variety of numbers and letters. It would be nearly impossible to figure out what these symbols meant and unfortunately, Lee didn't want to focus all his time on the red drawing.

He realized what was next to the symbol and his eyes lit up as if he'd won the jackpot. He took a guess of what it might've been before. A newsstand maybe? Anyways, that was not the focus of his attention. What was was the (he could swear it was shining with holy light) cash register that sat openly on top of the counter, inviting him in. Something that he would never get sick of were these now unmanned cash registers and it gave him a somewhat eerie thrill. Ah well, he was going to jail before this had all happened anyway.

"Hello, beautiful." He pitifully flirted with the inanimate object before pressing the button to reveal its hopefully shiny and foldable contents.

…_Empty. Yeah…that would have been way too easy._

Leaving the '_beautiful_' machine to itself, Lee walked away. He looked down the street in which they had arrived from. "I should probably stick close to Kenny. It's too dangerous out here."

Then he spied his next potential catch: a newspaper machine. He pulled on its lock, judging its stability. _I won't be able to open it with just his hands, luckily for this…! _He reached into his pocket, pulling out his bludgeon and smashing in the side of the machine three times. There was a relieving rattle as the machine grudgingly but thankfully poured out the exact amount he needed: one quarter.

Satisfied with his find, he marched back towards the telescope. The small change was about to leave his fingers when there was a frustrated shout, "Fuck!" Lee turned to an angrily clenching, Kenny.

"What's up with the boat?"

Kenny began to stomp over, "It ain't gonna work. Hull's cracked beneath the water line, plus someone stripped out the battery."

"You can't fix it?"

He suddenly stopped infront of Lee and he gave the _thing_ behind him and stared incredulously, "What the-?! What the hell is that?!"

"…A fate worse than death…"

As Kenny took in the gruesome sight, Lee popped the quarter into the telescope and began scanning the other side of the harbour. There was a boat that was farther out into the water but there was no way that one was salvageable. He moved his eyes to look farther out at sea. "Nothing but water. Not a boat to be seen." He continued to observe the area to the left, spotting the boat that Kenny had left. "What the hell…?" High above a building, Lee saw a reddish figure standing above it. At first, it looked as if the person was waving at him but he realized the he or she was taking out some sort of tool. Surprising him, the figure suddenly jumped off from their footing and began to expertly scale down the side of building like a spider.

The telescope then decided to blackout then and Lee removed his head from it. From this distance, he could still see the red figure. He half-whispered half-ordered Kenny who was examining the mess, "Get down, get down!"

Immediately obeying, they jumped and ducked behind the railings. Lee turned his crouching frame, poking his head over the edge while keeping steady with his hands. The newcomer was _a lot_ closer now. The person strode over casually to the newsstand, scrutinizing the available items like a regular customer. Kenny also took a look while whispering, "Why the hell are we hiding?"

"Someone came down from that building at the end of the street."

"Where'd he go?"

"Saw him run into that newsstand."

"Could be our bell ringer. How about we go find out?"

"We didn't come here looking for trouble."

"Yeah well, it seems to have a way of finding us anyways. Look, this could be t he guy from the radio, the one who's being messing with us. If he is, we can put an end to it, right now." Kenny then began to share his formulated plan, "Okay, you head up the middle of the street, I'll go around the side, cover your flank. We'll come up on him quiet, take him by surprise."

Kenny pulled out his gun, ready for action and Lee glanced over; sweat already forming on the side of his forehead. He really didn't want to just go and kill this guy, "We just want to talk to this guy."

"Oh, we're gonna talk." Kenny threw himself back onto the higher platform and stealthily hid down the alleyway across without drawing attention to himself. He looked over to Lee and gave him a look that said,_ "You ready?"_

The stranger was still browsing through the shelves of the newsstand as Lee crept closer and closer. Then, to check out the lower shelves with more ease, the red hooded figure bent their body down where it was now concealed by the front counter. Reaching the front counter, Lee grasped the surface with his left hand, pulling himself up and looking over into the inside with his weapon in his right. His eyes reflected the empty newsstand and he stood them dumbfounded. "What the—"

Then, his right hand was suddenly grasping nothing but air and he spun himself around. The hooded stranger proved to be fast with his fingers as he flipped the weapon in the air, catching it by its proper end and connecting it with the side of Lee's face before he could block. **_WHAM_**. The world suddenly turned and he felt the cold stone on the back of his arm and shoulder. His ears and mind felt numb with the high-pitched torture they were currently receiving. Lee shifted his body to be lying on his back and through blurry eyelids he saw his adversary toss the bludgeon and reach towards his side, unsheathing an uncomfortably dangerous-looking ice pick.

The red-hooded figure leaned slightly over him and he could see his features more closely, albeit extremely blurry. He wore a medical mask over his mouth, concealing the majority of his face. The figure raised their sharp weapon up high above their head.

_This is it…damn it, Kenny._

"No!" A child's voice cried as the enemy was about to thrust the weapon down. They froze and their eyes looked wild with shock. Lee looked through the gap between his would-be-killer and his arms.

Clementine.

She stared back with horrified eyes.

"…Clem?"

She ran forward, placing her small palms on the person's raised shoulder as if that would prevent them from giving the final blow, "Please…don't hurt him!"

The red-cloaked stranger was at a loss for words but after an excruciatingly unsure moment, they relented and hesitantly got back up onto their feet as they lowered their weapon. Politely moving to the side to allow Lee room to recover himself, they proceeded to give Lee an intense and calculative stare.

Lee exhaled a breath of relief that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He was absolutely sure that it was going to be the end of his story there. He placed a reassuring hand on Clementine's little shoulder.

The person sighed, "You're not from Crawford." It was a woman's voice, surprisingly. Lee turned to face her as the woman pulled down her light-red hood and mask. Underneath, was a short shaggy and blond hairstyle with a bluish hairclip to add on. Her cold but round features looked back at him. _…! Don't let the surprise show, Lee. Don't let it show._ He failingly tried to convince himself. As much as his dignity could take, he'd almost been done in by this freakishly strong woman.

"Crawford? What the hell are you talking about?"

From behind her, Kenny finally made his appearance, emerging from the alley. The woman made a disgruntled face. "Kenny, don't!" Lee tried to stop him.

If Lee'd blinked, he would have surely missed the whole scene. The woman, or perhaps better known as _ninja_ now, sensing Kenny, had dropped down low and swung out her leg, effectively (and impressively and he might add) tripping Kenny. Reflexively pulling the trigger, there was a loud bang as Kenny roughly hit the ground. He somewhat gained himself, getting off his side and clenching his fist frustratingly at the woman as she kicked his gun away. The moans from the speared walkers increased as they grew restless from the sudden pang of noise.

She was prepared to kill her newest attacker and she began to swing her ice pick, "No! He's with us!" Lee shouted and she stopped her pursuit, mere inches away from his face. Now away from death's door, Kenny stood back up.

The woman fixated them a hard stare, crossing her arms, "Who the hell _are_ you people?"

"Everyone just calm down." Lee said.

Kenny exploded, "I'll calm down once she tells me who the fuck she is!"

"Back off, asshole. The name's Molly."

"Molly. I'm Lee, this is Kenny and Clementine. We're not looking for any trouble."

Clementine smiled cheerfully, "Hi."

Molly looked at her strangely and received an adorable wave in return.

"You guys really aren't from Crawford, are you?"

Lee grunted, "I don't even know what that is."

She gestured with her hand, "Everything beyond that barricade."

They grimaced, "What the hell happened here?"

"…You sure you wanna know?"

He gave her a worried nod.

"When everything started going to shit, some people got together and sealed off that whole neighbourhood. Folks willing to do anything to stay alive, stop the dead getting in. I try to avoid 'em."

Kenny crossed his arms over his chest, having calmed down, "Why?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "Let's just say they have a zero-tolerance policy for anyone who won't – or can't – live by their rules."

"So how'd you know we weren't them?"

There was a hesitant pause before she turned her head back to solemnly look at Clementine, "Because there are no children in Crawford. Not anymore."

The corners of Lee's mouth curved down, "What do you mean, no children? Why not?"

"No children, no elderly, no one with an advanced medical condition. Basically no one who might be a burden on the community. Crawford's all about the survival of the fittest. That's how they survived, while the rest of the world went to shit around them."

Kenny furrowed his brow, "Jesus Christ…"

"Well, just the opposite, when you think about it."

Lee continued to question, "What exactly did Crawford do with all these 'burdens?' What happened to them?"

"Well you've met some of them already." She pointed.

"Fuck me…" Kenny rubbed his forehead.

"Yeah. Anyone who got sick, anyone too old, anyone they figured wasn't strong enough to survive. To them those people were just mouths to feed, a drain on their precious resources."

"How do you know all this?"

"Everyone in Savannah knew. What was going on inside Crawford got passed around like a ghost story. Except this one was true."

Not really wanting to know more about this _hellish haven_, Lee asked, "Do you know who's been ringing those bells all over town?"

"Yeah, that would be me."

Kenny's face contorted with fury, "I knew it! Lee, I knew she was the one who's been following us, fucking with us!" He turned to face Molly head-on.

"Get that finger out of my face, grampa, before I jam it straight up your ass. I haven't been following you. I don't even know who the hell you people are."

Lee looked at Kenny, "Calm down, Kenny. The voice on the radio was a guy, remember?"

"Yeah, well. Whoever you are, ringing those bells this morning nearly got us all killed, raised the dead all around us!"

"That's the idea, genius. It's how I get around. I ring a bell in one neighborhood to attract the local geeks toward it, buys me some time to scavenge the areas they cleared out."

Kenny snorted, "Geeks? Is that what you call them?"

"Yeah. You know, like at the carnival. They'll eat anything, alive or dead."

Lee arched his eyebrow, "That's pretty smart, with the bells."

"Doesn't take much to outsmart the dead. Bunch of dumb-asses. You just gotta move fast, get in and out before they start to wander back again."

They all nodded.

"Look, I'm gonna ask you people again: you're not from Crawford, so who the hell are you? What are you doing here?"

Lee explained, "We came down here looking for a boat, hoping to get our people out of here and find someplace safe."

"Yeah, good luck with that. Anyone with a boat took it out of here as soon as people started eating each other. Any that got left behind, Crawford stripped 'em for parts. Cars too." That explained why all the cars they'd seen on the way here were nearly bare to the bone.

Kenny crossed his arms again, shaking his head, "There's gotta be something."

"If there was, do you think I'd still be here? I've been over every inch of this city, this whole place is picked clean."

"Goddammit! Fuck!"

"Hey! Moron! You wanna keep your voice down?"

Kenny ignored her, staring out into the open foggy sea. There wasn't going to be a boat here anytime soon by the looks of it. "Shit."

Molly turned back to face Lee and Clementine, "Since you're not getting on any boat, I'd advise you folks to go back where you came from, before—" She suddenly stopped midsentence, widening her eyes at something behind them. It had now occurred to them that there was a suddenly loud chorus of moans from behind.

"Great. Just great."

Kenny backed away, "Isn't that the—

"Way we came." Lee finished.

**Andy's Note: Yay for ninja ice-pickers! It kinda irks me sometimes how they forget that loud noises attract zombies. And it's never a small group of them. No, that would be waaaaaaaaaaaay too easy.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Andy's Note: 'CAREFUL LEE.' (carefully) I meant to update this chapter yesterday but my sister pulled me along with her plans, hehe. Have a nice read!**

Chapter 38

Kenny backed up, "Isn't that the—

"Way we came." Lee finished, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Fuck! Gunshot must've brought 'em back." All of them back, as it seemed.

Clementine gulped, "Isn't there another way back to the house?"

Lee began to turn to the newcomer, "Molly, is there—" He'd turned just in time to see her rapidly turning the corner into the alleyway. They chased after her who began using her ice pick and body to maneuver up the walls onto the high emergency ladder platform of a building.

"Hey! You're just going to leave us here?" Lee called after the escaping ninja.

"Sorry, I must have missed the part of our conversation where you became my problem."

The little girl at his side cried, "Don't let us here! Please?"

She jerked her head to stare down into her begging eyes before sighing in defeat. Molly bent down low, offering a hand down, "Come on! Make it fast!"

Lee immediately scooped his young charge up in his arms, boosting her up to safety. The walkers had yet again found them and were beginning to shuffle into the alleyway.

Kenny cursed upon realizing just how many of them there were, "Oh, fuck me…"

"Come on, come on, hurry!" Lee boosted Kenny up on his knees to throw him upwards. He landed on the platform with a clatter and Lee gritted his teeth at the approaching horde.

"Lee! Come on!" Clementine called his attention back.

Kenny held his hand out to him from above, "Come on man, one good jump!"

He jumped up, gripping his comrade's palm, "Gaaaah!" Kenny winced at the sudden increase of weight on his one hand and Lee felt his bottom connect with the stone below. He backed up on his heels before gaining his footing.

"Nooo! Lee!" Clem wailed.

He turned himself around, pushing the dumpster in his way to the side to get past.

"Lee! Hurry!"

Lee rushed forward but froze in his tracks when several walkers began to emerge slowly from the other end.

He was surrounded.

He backed up, nervously looking over his shoulder when he felt a tiny difference in the ground below him. Lee looked down. A manhole.

"C'mon Lee, get your ass outta there!" The male above him ordered.

He was quick to follow his instructions and bent himself over, attempting to pry off the manhole cover. "Gah! Can't get it open!"

"Here!" Molly threw down an object towards him, "Use that to pry it open!" It was her ice climbing pick. It landed on the ground with a clunk and without a moment grabbed it. _C'mon, Lee! Pull this damn thing off…!_ He pushed himself to pry off the cover towards him. The walkers staggered dangerously close. Finally getting the cover off, he threw himself in just in time to avoid the chomp of a walker that was mere inches away. "Leeeeeee!" Clementine howled as her guardian disappeared down the sewer hole.

Lee climbed the ladder urgently and fortunately for that as when his foot touched stable ground, there was a rattling above and a walker dropped down the hole and landed on the ground with a sickeningly splat. He backed off just incase it was still alive or any of its other friends were coming down to play as well. Blood seeped out of its rotten body and head. He cupped his mouth, calling up towards the opening of the hole, "Clementine! Can you hear me?!" No response, "If you can hear me, just get back to the house, okay? I'll meet you there!"

He turned away from the opening, scrutinizing his surroundings, "Shit." The sewers. He scrunched up his nose at the foul smell. It was difficult to see, giving him the disadvantage against anything or anyone living down here. Lee stepped down the steep steps towards the lower level, noticing the huge grates that were built solid. There was no way he was going to be able to pry those open. Not that he really wanted to.

Continuing down, he noticed a large archway opening with a plaque above it though the words were long removed from the grime of the area. It ran downwards with a steep slant. Lee placed his hand on the side for support and careful scaled down the wet entrance.

Jumping down deeper into the level, Lee found himself in a maze-like sewer system. He turned down a random corner that seemed to have fairly sufficient light emitting from it. He came upon another corner which had a small light that was miraculously still working from the ceiling. It slightly illuminated the area with a light similar to several fireflies, revealing a large pipe reaching from the ground to the ceiling. It was a drainage pipe but it was missing its handle, rendering it useless. There were also three large grate, one arch one on the wall next to him and two square ones on the ground below it.

Lee felt anxious as he began to continue down the corner, cautiously looking from side to side. He could hear them far off but he couldn't if it was from a grate opening up into the many streets or if there was something down here with him. He found his answer when he turned and his eyes widened. Several walkers were feasting on _something_. The heavy amount of them concealed their prey as they happily munched on their meal.

He looked beyond the walkers, down the long tunnel where at the end was a passageway. From his standing point, he could see faint light emitting from the top. One lone female walker sat with her back to him, occupied. _Could be the way out. But there's no way I can take on all of those things by myself._

There was a passageway in the wall on his side that was large enough for a grown-man to enter by crouching. He did so and found another pipe that had an unusually bright green handle. With a plan formulating in his head, he experimenting by turning the handle to the right. In the grate to his left, he could see water begin to spew out from a source. Attracted to the water's sound, a single walker stumbled over and began splashing around in it. _Good thing I'm out here and not in there._

Then he noticed the handle on the pipe. _Hmm, seems loose._

He looked to his right and cursed under his breath. The water seemed to be loud enough to attract another walker towards it. There was no going back that way.

He hauled the loose valve off the pipe and turned down towards the other end of the passageway. It was locked by a grate but luckily he had Molly's ice climbing pick He jammed one end of the pick into the lock and placed his foot on the wall for stability. With a heavy grunt, he pulled the lock out of place and creaked the large grate door open. He was back at the first drainage pipe. Taking the valve out of his pocket, he aligned it up with the bar sticking out, pushing it on securely. He twisted the valve, releasing a waterfall from the large grate beside him and into the grates below. He turned to look at the walkers, red with the blood from the meal. They began to notice the new noise, turning their attention towards it. "Here they come." Lee furrowed his brows. He quickly but silently crept back towards the now-open passageway. _Now to go around._

He duck-walked towards the other end of the passageway. He nervously waited as the walkers stumbled towards the source of sound. Once the last walker had cleared the way, he smirked, climbing out of the large mouse-hole. Molly wasn't the only one who could distract walkers away. The grin was almost immediately wiped off his face as he neared the walkers' former holder of attention.

A familiar comrade's corpse lay strung out across the mucky ground. A jagged, bloody hole was ripped in his lower torso and several of his intestines were dragged out. A small red hole dug into his temple. Bite marks covered the majority of his body. "Oh my God. Chuck. He must've tried to hide out down here. The poor bastard." Near Chuck's hand lay a revolver and Lee picked it up, examining its contents, "No bullets. He must've saved the last one for himself." He placed it in his pocket. "You deserved better, old man." Lee solemnly tipped his head to his lost teammate. Without him, Lee wouldn't have known to take better cautions in ensuring Clementine's safety. He also saved her when Ben couldn't. He said his last goodbyes to the cheerful addition to their group before looking ahead down the tunnel.

The female walker was still in her position, having been too far away to hear the water. He bent down low, stepping over Chuck's remains and beginning to stealth forward. He stepped over an open-bar grate, making sure to land his footings carefully to not alert her. All of a sudden there was a grab at his ankle and he fell forward. A rotten but still ridiculously strong hand reached for his foot through the thin bars. At the sound of him losing his balance, the female walker ahead snarled, rotating her body. "Let go, god dammit!" Lee gritted his teeth, alternating between trying to yank his foot out of its reaches and looking before him at the slowly approaching attacker.

He pulled out Molly's climbing pick, snagging its blade between the walker's wrist and his foot and attempting to peel its filthy hand off of him. It let out an angered growl as he managed to tear it off. Once he'd done that, the walker below lost its grip on his ankle and Lee scampered on four legs away from its range.

Lee stood up to face the closer than expected female walker, bringing his weapon up high and down into its eye. It ended its chase, falling to the ground with a slump. Lee jerked his head over his shoulder, worrying that the walkers behind him had noticed the ruckus. Satisfied that they were none the wiser, he carried on ahead towards the light.

It was another elevated platform and on the side was yet another large grate. He tested the climbing pick on it, grunting in displeasure, "Ugh. I'm not going to be able to pry these bars with this."

In front of the grate was a ladder and he felt confused for a moment. Then he looked up at the hole in the ceiling, similar to the entrance he'd come from. Unreachable. _Great._ There was no way he could pick up the broken ladder on his own. There was a door to the side, and Lee felt his hopes rise. He placed the thin edge of the blade in the door, taking a stab at prying the door open. "Shit! It broke off!" The door handle fell to the ground. In the middle of the platform on the wall, there was a large blue and dirty sign. It read, "NO DUMPING." Lee examined it darkly.

The rest of the broken ladder hung tauntingly high above him. …He had an idea. But it was probably going to end up badly. Lee had seen Molly do her ninja spider moves…who was the say he couldn't? Besides, he had her 'climbing thingy.' Lee stepped back. He couldn't believe he had thought up of this stupid idea. Was he really going to try and climb the wall to the top? No other way but to try… He gulped his fears, running forward with the pick in hand. He was going to try to throw himself off of the blue sign to try to get a good enough jump for the ladder. Well, that was the plan.

Unfortunately for him, he'd only **_half_**-made it to the first step. He twisted his body after pushing his foot off the sign but what was unplanned was for the sign to slip off its hanged position, drooping downwards. He landed on his bottom once again for what must've been the second time of the day. _Ugh…and Molly made it look so easy…_ he numbly thought as he winced in pain on the floor. Then he looked up and widened his eyes at the blue sign. "What the hell?" He got to his feet, throwing the flimsy sign off its hinges. What had been hidden before but was now clearly seen behind the sign was a large gaping hole, large enough to fit a grown person. A secret passageway.

What the hell was this doing here? He checked for anything moving behind him and felt relieved that the monsters were still dumbly distracted by the water and it didn't look like that was going to change anytime soon. He ducked through the large hole and he noticed a warning sign to his left that claimed the area was a Fallout Shelter. "What the hell…" He looked around the medium-sized room he was currently in. There were shelves that contained boxes of things and desks that lined the right wall. "Must've been one of those old nuclear fallout shelters."

A closed door was at the far side of the room with a brownish-red mat that lay in front of it. A bunk-bed that had been stripped of its mattress was off to the side. He more closely examined the objects on the shelves and was shocked to realize that it was a whole ton of food and supplies. "Look at all this. It's enough to keep people alive for months." He gapped at the excruciatingly large amount of supplies and medicine. Now extremely curious about this secret place he'd stumbled upon, he reached for the doorknob, turning it and pushing through.

His face must've matched the surprised and horrified looks on all the members of the group. He slacked his wrist, and the door slid shut behind him. There was the sound of the safety of a revolver clicking off as he came face to face with a slightly elderly man. With the gun in his hands, the man looked dangerous in contrast to this balding age.

He bore into him with cold, questioning eyes, "Who are you?"

**Andy's Note: Sorry if this chapter seemed kinda short…o: It's my brother's birthday tomorrow and we're all getting ready to celebrate. Have a nice day!**


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